An Unexpected Ally
by Mrs.JohnReese
Summary: Vanya, daughter of Thranduil, and Princess of Mirkwood is no stranger to peril. Whether she sought it out herself, or fate brought it to her door; she never had much choice in learning to fend for herself. But when an old friend calls on her for aid, will she prevail over the danger destiny brings? Or will she perish in dragon fire and ruin? REVISED! Eventual ThorinXOC, please R
1. Searching for Purpose

**Greetings, my lovelies! It is I, your crazy psycho writer person; back with a story that I deleted not weeks ago! Why must I insist on not making any sense, you ask?**

**I don't honestly know…**

**At any rate, I won't bore you too much with the details of what on earth I'm doing here. Just know that I'll be reloading/revising the chapters I had already created bit by bit. And maybe I can get some more inspiration by the time I get to see DOS, no?**

**As I always say with any story, I cannot WAIT to hear what you think! So please don't hesitate to leave a review! And thank you for reading!**

**MJR**

…

Clinking glasses and the scrape of cutlery on plates wafted through the dingy tavern that night; the sudden surge in clientele rendering the barkeep in perhaps the best mood he had ever known as he bustled from patron to patron, tending to their needs. It was unusual indeed for so many people to turn up on his doorstep all of a sudden. But more patrons meant more money; and with the slow season coming faster than he dared admit, the old man found himself in no position for complaining. After all, with such a variety of clients, one would find themselves never lacking in entertainment and intrigue…a fact with which the barkeep found himself growing increasingly fond of; as the days grew longer, and his bones more weary.

Ah yes, entertainment was good for him, he supposed. Most especially now, when there was little else he could do to keep himself occupied; outside from his current employment. He was not as young as before the wars. Before all that had been good in his world had been snuffed out…

Wide fingers curled around the handle of a large tankard of ale as the barkeep shuffled out from behind his work station; his uneven gait causing some of the frothy liquid inside to go sloshing over the edge of the glass as he moved. His chosen path would lead him directly past the table where two of his most interesting patrons were seated; engaged in quiet chatter, and blind to all else that moved around them. It just so happened that their apparent oblivion was just exactly as he wanted it this night; for if he but stepped a bit closer, he could listen in on their conversation…and perhaps he might learn of the reasoning behind two seemingly ill-matched companions finding solace in each other's company.

"Respectfully, Mithrandir, you have the wrong elf" The barkeep heard the young elf woman address her older companion; her subsequent laughter carrying the quality of hushed wind chimes as she shook her head at the affronted grey-clad stranger sitting across the table. From the manner in which she sat with the wizened old man, her shoulders relaxed and facial expression at ease as she toyed with the contents of her bowl; it was obvious that she was not put off by the relative lack of female counterparts in her vicinity…and the barkeep had to fight back a chuckle as the thought of how she was hardly even recognizable as a woman save for the long, raven colored tresses that fanned out against the back of her tunic rose, unbidden to his mind. Her posture and her clothing spoke more to the guise of a tomboy than a lady of high birth. In fact, perhaps the only thing that truly struck him as truly ladylike regarding her facial features in and of themselves would have to be the delicate bow of her lips; and the soft skin on what was visible of her neck, beneath the collar of her clothing. All other features were either bland in appearance, or masked by the style of her garb. But try though it might to break free, the barkeep held in his laughter at the uncanniness of her appearance. After all, it wouldn't do to bring attention to himself…not now, when he was so close to discerning the true reasoning behind the woman's presence.

"I would have thought you might at least be curious about such a venture" The man seated with the elf intoned then; a half-smile forming at the corners of his mouth as he took a long draw from his pipe and exhaled slowly, rings of smoke fanning out around him before continuing "One would suppose that, having so recently lost your own home; you might be eager to help others reclaim theirs."

"Curiosity about what you are proposing, and willingness to commit to such a risk are two entirely different beasts, my friend" The woman replied, lifting a spoonful of stew to her mouth halfheartedly as her eyes grew distant; reflecting the dim lights of the tavern in their depths. She was troubled, that much was obvious. But about what, the barkeep could not know.

"Then what would you do, my child?" The grey cloaked stranger asked her, taking yet another long pull on his pipe before he went further in his questioning "Wander about the most desolate places of this world until death or some other fate take you? That is hardly the end I would have envisioned for one of your standing."

"And dying beside the dwarf who has sworn to hate my race for all eternity is a better fate?" The elf replied, her green eyes flicking up to meet Mithrandir's grey ones in incredulity at his suggestion. For his part, the barkeep did his best to avoid allowing his own visage to show his interest in the mention of dwarves and adventures. Of course he had heard legends of the great races of the world…and he was unable to stop the surge of childlike joy that soared through his veins at the prospect of just another such legend unfolding right before his very eyes.

"Even the most resolute hearts can have a change of reasoning; dear Vanya" The old man countered; setting his pipe down as he went on "You will see that before the end."

As he finished, he stood; stretching slightly before fixing the young elf woman with an intent gaze as he spoke again "Consider what I have told you about the quest. Sleep on it. And we'll see where you stand in the morning."

And with that, he was gone; leaving his companion to stare after his retreating back in awe. Even the barkeep could realize that this wizard had skillfully dangled a carrot, right in front of the girl's nose. He had used whatever grand scheme he had in mind as bait; luring her in and setting the trap for whatever it was he wanted her to do. From the sounds of it, he intended her to go on a venture of sorts…and judging by the faint gleam in her green eyes, it seemed as though this…_Vanya_…had begun to feel the faintest stirrings of an urge to take the old man up on his offer. Something that the barkeep was sure had been the wizard's intent, all along.

Jumping at the resounding scrape of chair legs against a wood floor that indicated the woman was moving from her seat; the barkeep hastily busied himself with refilling the mug of the unsuspecting patron to his right, heart hammering as he felt her brush past him and head for the staircase opposite where he stood. Even with his aged senses, he could tell that she moved with renewed purpose; her steps certain in spite of the trepidation she had just exposed to her companion…

Oh yes, she would be heeding the request of the wizard. And maybe, _just_ maybe…the barkeep would get to hear the story on the other side.

…..

**Well there it is! The end of the revised first installment! Again, thank you so so much for reading! Please do leave a review if you'd like! I'd love to hear your opinions! **


	2. Hurt Too Deep

"_Vanya…Vanya do not do this. I will make father see reason. He has to…you are his only daughter" Legolas protested; grabbing his sister's arm tightly as she moved to don her grey traveling cloak "There has to be another way."_

"_There is no other way; brother" Vanya replied, offering a faint attempt at a smile as she gently shook off Legolas' restraining hand and secured the cloak around her neck. You know as well as I how father is set in his ways. I have dishonored him by my actions."_

"_But to pay for those actions with your way of life…with your ability to call this forest a home…I cannot allow it" Legolas continued, his fingers curling into a fist at his side as he followed his sister through the hall and out into the courtyard. He hated to see her like this, so clearly torn between staying in their home and going out to live freely; away from the iron will of their father. But perhaps even more than that, he hated the thought of losing her. Since her birth, the two had been nearly inseparable…up until this moment; when fate was seeking to take her from him; perhaps for good. _

"_What type of home would it be if I were never permitted to see it again as a result of father's insatiable fear?" Vanya countered, securing her sword and small bag of traveling supplies to her horse, Chretienne; before turning back to face her brother once more "Whichever way this ends, we are separated. And I would rather leave you willingly than be taken by force."_

"_Will you at least tell me where you are going?" Her brother asked, sadness and pain etched on his normally pristine features as he awaited her reply. The sorrow in his eyes was enough to make her stomach turn. But she could do no more than leave; not after the ultimatum her father had issued. Journey to the West before her time, never to return to Middle Earth; or be exiled…_

_And she had chosen exile. In retrospect, perhaps that choice did not fully make sense. But, she reasoned, at least in exile she might still pass by her childhood home; even though she may never venture within its borders. Were she to journey West, that could not happen. Though not fully understood to her at the time, she felt an almost painful compulsion to remain on Middle Earth; in spite of whatever danger she might face. In spite of how her home may be forever lost. But she would still have the world she had always known…and that would have to be enough. _

"_I would, brother, if I knew" She replied; reaching down to grab his hand and squeeze it gently "You have my word that I will write you as often as I can. Although, father may not permit you to see the letters."_

_Vanya mounted her horse then; leaning down to place a kiss against Legolas' cheek before drawing back as her brother spoke._

"_I will pray that mother's spirit watches over you" He said; touching his fingers to his lips in the ages old sign of farewell as she turned Chretienne around and sped off quickly so that he would not see the tears falling freely down her cheeks. Her decision had been made. It would not do to dwell on it now. She would accept the consequences of her actions…though they pained her greatly. And she would see to it that she found a home elsewhere…though where that may be; she did not yet know._

_What she did know, was that the entire world now stretched out before her feet. And Vanya had not a clue what it had in store for her, just around the corner._

…

Startled back into wakefulness by a loud banging outside her door; Vanya sat up in bed, blinking around the room for a bit before throwing back the covers and dashing over to the window. The sun was blazing, high in the sky…and if Mithrandir's estimation on the timing of the very beginning of his quest was correct…

She was late.

Muttering a curse under her breath, she hastily began discarding her nightclothes; stuffing them into her sack after drawing out the more practical clothing she would wear for the last leg of her journey to the home of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. The steely grey leggings and tunic would suit her far better on the journey than any dress she normally wore within the forest…and she put the last parts of her wardrobe that would speak of her station within the elven kingdom aside; donning the garb of a common wayfarer with an almost relieved air. For once she would not have to act the part of a distinguished noble…and here, in the land where almost no one had a clue what an elf really looked like; she would finally be able to make a name for herself outside of what rumor and legend told.

A prospect that was rather exciting; and daunting, all at the same time.

Once she was satisfied that her clothing was in order; Vanya set about coercing her unruly black hair into a braid at her back, an almost bitter smile gracing her lips as she was reminded, yet again, of how much she resembled her mother. She was the only one of her father's line who had inherited dark black locks and piercing green eyes…a fact that had only caused King Thranduil to grow ever more distant to his youngest child after his wife was taken from him. Looking at her only brought about thoughts of his wife…of how she had died at the hands of orcs…and Vanya had spent the majority of her late adolescent years doing anything she could to stay out of her father's way; lest she cause him pain.

Shaking her head to ward off more painful thoughts of home, and those she had left behind, Vanya scooped her traveling cloak up from its place on the chair by the door; securing her sword to her waist and giving the room a last look over before departing and shutting the door behind her. Ruminating over the past would do her no good now…not by a long shot. She would have to learn to put those things behind her if she hoped to make it in the quest that Mithrandir had set for her…

And she would have to do so sooner; rather than later.

…

Hours later, long after the sun had gone down for the day; Vanya found herself wandering what seemed to be the millionth street in the tiny place known as the Shire. She had been searching, without luck, for the hobbit hole on whose door rested the mark of the wizard…and she had just about given up all hope of finding such a place when the sound of muffled singing reached her ears. It seemed to be coming from the last hobbit hole on the street in which she stood…and she stepped forward cautiously; curiosity drawing her towards the noise of what appeared to be at least a dozen male voices. Muted thuds intermingled with the chorus; and a peek through the window as she approached the domicile confirmed that this was the place she had been searching for. Mithrandir had mentioned a rather large gathering of dwarves in addition to herself in the hobbit's home…and here they were.

Edging up to the window so that she could get a better glimpse of what was inside; Vanya found herself letting her mouth hang open as she took in what was on the other side of the window. At least ten dwarves of varying shapes and statures sat around a makeshift banquet table in the center of the room; food and utensils spread about in a random hodge-podge of little to no order. A light laugh escaped her as she caught a piece of food sailing across the table, only to land in a rather rotund dwarf's waiting mouth; but all amusement was drained from her rather quickly as a deep voice spoke up behind her.

"Eavesdropping won't gain you many favors around here; stranger. You'd do well to be on your way."

Whirling around to face the source of the voice, Vanya felt all color drain from her face as she laid eyes on the one man she had most dreaded meeting. The man she had heard tales of since she was a child…the one who hated her father, and all others of his race…

Thorin Oakenshield.

The words she had intended as a reply died in her throat as she saw his gaze turn from one of bemused intrigue, to a barely veiled animosity. It would be folly to think he might have missed her pointed ears, and sinewy frame…and she fought hard to suppress a shiver of apprehension as she slowly stepped down from the window and walked forward towards the imposing dwarf before her. She could see the muscles of his jaw working furiously, even in the dim light, and in order to stave off any source of conflict; she forced herself to hold her hand out to him, allowing a faint smile to flit across her face as she said:

"They call me Vanya. I am a friend of…"

"You are no one to me, elf" He replied tersely, cutting her off and stepping around her to rap on the door three times "And you are no friend of mine."

Though she was not honestly stunned at his harsh rejection of her gesture of friendship, Vanya let her hand fall to her side with a faint hint of disappointment just the same; watching the dwarf carefully for a moment before moving to join him on the doorstep as she said:

"I simply meant to say I was a friend of Gandalf the Grey."

As she finished speaking, she barely took notice of the door being opened by a rather small individual…in all likelihood the hobbit; choosing instead to focus on Thorin as he turned to face her, his eyes glinting in the light of the open doorway as he spoke.

"Why should your supposed friendship mean a thing to me? What elf has ever given their aid to a dwarf without reservation?"

"If you refer to the battle for your kingdom, I would have you know that the decision of one person should not condemn an entire race" Vanya retorted, her voice coming out in a hiss as Thorin brushed past her and entered the doorway. Truth be told, she knew she should tread carefully. Already, he was condemning her for the actions of her father; even when he knew not of her true lineage. She knew she could not reveal her true identity to this dwarf. To any of them, in all likelihood. At least not yet. And so it was that she simply stepped to the side to avoid causing Thorin further distress, green eyes fixed on the dwarf's back as his voice took on a familiar, commanding tone:

"Gandalf? A word?"

Vanya watched on in silence for a moment as Thorin moved out of sight down a hallway to the left; only belatedly realizing that she was still standing outside as the young hobbit who had opened the door for her spoke up in a harried voice, saying:

"I don't suppose…you'd like to come in?"

"Thank…thank you" She replied, entering the doorway and stepping aside as the hobbit made to shut the door behind her; her eyes constantly searching the tiny foyer for any sign of her most recent acquaintance's return. Clearly, all of the rumors were true…his hatred of elves was seemingly unrivaled. It was obvious that her very presence offended him…and Vanya was quite eager to stay out of his way, if it meant maintaining a peaceful gathering. Realizing she was no longer alone, however, and not wishing to appear rude; she shook herself from her thoughts and turned to face the hobbit once again; a soft smile taking over her features as she took in how utterly out of sorts he looked.

"I take it you are not used to such…large gatherings" She said, removing her cloak and hanging it neatly on the hook beside the door before quickly adjusting her tunic "It does take some getting used to."

"Oh I enjoy parties as well as the next hobbit, mind you; so long as I am familiar with the guests" Her host said, looking out the tiny window by the door as though he feared the arrival of still more visitors. When none were forthcoming, he turned back to face her, holding out a hand and saying "But where are my manners? Bilbo Baggins of the Shire."

"Vanya, daughter of…of Mirkwood" She replied, extending her hand and hoping that the hobbit would not pick up on her near slip regarding her identity. She didn't want him to know her as a princess…not when she hardly counted as one anymore, anyway. Besides, the poor dear was already nervous enough; it seemed. A fact that was made all the worse as Thorin reappeared in the foyer, with Mithrandir following close behind. The dwarf barely spared her a passing glance before moving to Bilbo's side; clapping a large hand on the stunned hobbit's shoulder as he said:

"So this is the hobbit."

Vanya felt a chill roll through her as she caught a brief flicker of fear flashing through Bilbo's eyes as he locked gazes with her. She understood how he felt in the presence of such a person…though Thorin didn't seem to hold as much in the way of hatred towards the young hobbit as he did her. Fortunately for both of them, though, Mithrandir spoke up then; placing a steady hand on Vanya's shoulder as he said:

"Indeed it is, Thorin. I think you'll find him quite suitable; along with Vanya, here."

"That remains to be seen" Thorin replied, his eyes speaking volumes as he gave Vanya one last withering look before turning to enter the room where the rest of his kin were still chatting merrily. Bilbo followed soon after, looking every bit as ill at ease as he had when he had first opened the door; leaving Vanya to stand alone with the wizard in the foyer.

"May I ask you how I am to be of assistance on this journey, Mithrandir; if its leader will barely even acknowledge my presence?" She asked, turning to look up at the elderly wizard whose judgment she trusted so much…at least, up until now. He must be mad if he thought she stood a chance at gaining the trust of the dwarves; if the reaction of their leader to her presence were any indication. The old wizard merely laughed at her, however; shaking his head a bit as he responded:

"He will see your usefulness in time, dear one. All you have to do is be patient."

Vanya's doubtful reply was cut off then, as she found herself being shuffled towards the same door that Thorin and Bilbo had disappeared through; every cell in her body on edge at the prospect of what was before her. But, despite all of that, there was a part of her that remained determined to lend her assistance in whatever way possible…a stronger, more willful side to her that was eager to partake in anything that might get her mind off of home…off of what she had so recently lost. And she _would _be a part of this journey…

Even if she had to fight Thorin and the rest tooth and nail to do so.

…

**Okay, so this chapter is a bit shorter than I had originally intended, mainly because it's later in the night than I expected; and I have a busy day tomorrow. So I've gotta go be an old woman and rest up (lol). But I wanted to take a minute to post, as well as to thank my lovely reviewers (CrystalWolfGuardian, Jo, and Dwaffle)! You guys made me smile so much with your comments! I'm definitely glad you're enjoying the story; and I hope you keep on doing just that! Also, lots of love to all who have favorite/alerted! You guys make my day!**

**As always, do feel free to tell me what you think of this chapter! I hope I haven't gone and botched anyone's character too much (even with this brief glimpse)…**

**Until the next time…**

**~MJR~**


	3. Uncertain Beginnings

Seated with the others around the dining room table, Vanya couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor hobbit whose quiet little home had been invaded by their company. Bilbo was looking more and more flustered by the second…and she could tell that this talk of taking back the kingdom under the mountain was doing nothing to help his situation. Why Mithrandir had involved him on this venture was even more of a mystery than his reasoning behind getting her involved…and she caught the poor hobbit looking at her on more than one occasion; as though wishing that she could somehow figure a way out of this for the both of them.

Truth be told, given Thorin's reaction to her presence; and the way that several of the other dwarves in his company kept watching her warily, Vanya would only be too glad to get out of this little arrangement. But that was not in the cards for her, apparently…not if the insistent twinkle in Mithrandir's eyes was any indication. He was positively gleeful about the state of affairs he had created for both herself and the young hobbit…and it was obvious, now, that there was to be no arguing with him about it.

Before she could muse on her seeming misfortune much further, however; Thorin's voice rang out from beside her, immediately commanding the attention of everyone in the room as he said:

"Show them the contract."

"Contract?" Vanya spoke up then, disbelief shadowing her features as she moved to accompany Bilbo behind where the dwarf king was seated. Thorin merely leveled a flat stare at her as she passed him by; his facial expression clearly suggesting that he thought her as brainless as the wood that comprised the chair he sat upon. And so, doing her best to ignore him, lest her willfulness spark a disagreement that would not serve to bring any good to this gathering, Vanya fought to maintain an aloof expression as she moved around to stand at the hobbit's side; listening carefully as Balin spoke up.

"It's just the usual; summary about pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, and so forth."

Vanya's eyes widened as he said this, but Bilbo spoke up first; shock evident on his features as he said:

"Funeral arrangements?"

When Balin merely nodded, Bilbo fell to reading the document in his hands; his mutterings gradually becoming louder as Vanya leaned over his shoulder to read along with him.

"Up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of total profit, if any" He read, pausing briefly before shrugging and saying "Seems fair. Present company shall not be liable for injuries including but not limited to…laceration…"

Bilbo paused once again after reading that, nerves clearly taking hold of him as the full brunt of what he was being pushed into hit him. Vanya caught his eye, then; and seeing the beginnings of panic taking its hold, she nodded encouragingly at him, silently urging him to continue on.

"Evisceration…_incineration_?" The hobbit finished, his voice rising a bit at the last word. Vanya too was a bit shocked at this much detail being placed in the contract…not that she had expected any less. They _were_ going up against a dragon, after all. But to include such things for the eyes of a hobbit, when it was common knowledge that they were a simple folk…that seemed a bit much; even for creatures as oftentimes crude as the dwarves.

"Aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye" The dwarf who had been introduced as Bofur supplied then, a grin forming as he took in the way that Bilbo's face had paled still further at his statement. It was obvious that he was merely joking, albeit at Bilbo's expense…after all, in the limited time that she had already spent with the dwarves, Vanya had discovered that they loved to tease each other…to joke. All of them, at least, except for Thorin. But to do so when Bilbo clearly had no way of knowing of their customs irked her a bit. And she couldn't help but develop a protective streak towards the young Halfling as she watched him get thrown into the deep end, as it were. And without warning, at that.

"You all right, laddie?" Balin cut in then, clearly sharing Vanya's unspoken concern for the hobbit's welfare. Her own hand had gone to Bilbo's back to steady him, as he had begun to sway in place; and she did her best to shove aside her own misgivings and latent fears about the contents of the contract they had been reading as she awaited his reply.

"Yes, I…I will be" He responded, bending down with both hands on his knees as he took a few deep breaths. His eyes rose to meet hers then, as he once more stood to his full height; and he took yet another shallow breath as he continued "I…I feel a bit faint."

"Come, take a seat" Vanya replied, moving to help the hobbit to the chair she had recently vacated. Before she could get far, however, Bofur was speaking up once again, that same look of amusement in his eyes as he said:

"Think furnace…with wings!"

"You do realize you aren't helping…" Vanya exclaimed; shooting the dwarf a pointed look before returning her attention back to Bilbo, who was growing more agitated by the minute.

"Air…I…I need air" He was saying to no one in particular. Giving the dwarves at large a last, exasperated look; Vanya once again placed her hand at Bilbo's back so that she could begin leading him in the opposite direction towards the door of his home, halting in her attempts as Bofur went on in his teasing.

"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof…you're nothing more than a pile of ash."

"Bilbo…Bilbo are you alright?" Vanya asked then, ignoring Bofur, and stooping down to look the hobbit in the eye. He was white as a sheet, and she could clearly see how his hands were trembling as he stepped back from her quickly, a few short breaths escaping him before he replied:

"Nope."

Soon after speaking, the hobbit fell to the floor, unconscious; a flurry of activity commencing as the dwarves, Gandalf, and Vanya hurried to hoist him into the sitting room where he could rest on the couch. After making certain that he would be safe where they had left him…albeit amidst a relatively large din of noise as all of them tried to speak at once…the dwarves split off into twos and threes to join in small conversations of their own; seemingly content to allow Gandalf and Vanya to continue to keep watch over their fallen burglar.

Taking a seat next to the wizard, and resting her head on her knees as she stared into the fire; Vanya found herself unable to help the questions that came to her, unbidden. Would Bilbo agree to come with them on the journey? Would his apparent nervous disposition allow it? Was she even certain that she would agree to partake in such a quest? Furthermore, if both of them did go…would they come back, unscathed? Or would they simply become two more doomed souls, carrying out a task that could not possibly end in their favor? Going up against the great dragon would be no small feat. And Vanya found herself hoping that Thorin and Gandalf knew what they were doing.

The consequences stood to be very disastrous if they did not.

…

"Will he be alright, do you suppose?" A voice inquired from behind where Vanya was seated; her eyes riveted on the dying flames of the fire in Bilbo's hearth. Gandalf had abandoned his seat beside her some twenty minutes or so ago in favor of entering the discussion on mead that had been started by Bofur and Gloin…and as such, she had been left to her own thoughts; never noticing the approach of the youngest in the dwarf company. Jumping a bit as she found herself startled back into reality, Vanya turned to face the voice; relief taking over as she realized it was the dwarf she now knew as Kili who had approached her; instead of one of the others. Of all of the party assembled in Bag End, he and his brother Fili had been the most open minded regarding her addition to the traveling party thus far; in spite of their relation to Thorin…and she gave the young dwarf a slight smile as she glanced once at Bilbo before saying:

"I feel that he will. This is all just…so much of a shock for him. For me too, really."

"Well he seems pleasant enough" Kili responded, a rakish smile crossing his features as he sat down beside Vanya on the floor "I shouldn't mind having him along on our journey, provided he doesn't take all the food."

"I doubt one so small would be capable of eating all of your food" Vanya replied, causing Kili to let out a laugh that carried across the room to his older brother. The blond dwarf immediately left Bifur's side to cross the room towards the fire, smiling widely as he said:

"What amuses you so, little brother?"

"The elf seems to believe that small size renders one incapable of eating enough to feed a small army" Kili said, clapping his brother on the arm and dragging him down to sit beside him as he continued "A mistaken assumption, to be sure."

"Well, brother, she had never met Bombur before he grew into what he is today" Fili replied, throwing Vanya a smile that was as infectious as his brother's before explaining "Eating is one of the things we do well…following closely after fighting and drinking, of course."

"And poking fun at each other" Kili supplied, smiling at his kinsman before going on "Though we may have to watch ourselves, brother. We wouldn't want to offend the sensibilities of our elf friend, here."

"You can't have met very many elves, Kili, if you think us all so dour" Vanya said then, a small laugh escaping her as she went on "We can rile each other just as much as you."

"Now that I would like to see" Fili interjected, his face taking on an expression of mock doubt as he nudged his brother in the ribs. The two soon erupted into more laughter, Vanya joining them for a brief moment before freezing in place as she realized who had come to stand beside them.

"One should hope you will never find yourself in the company of more than one elf, nephew. They're as likely to snare you with their ethereal charm as an orc is to attack at sundown" Thorin said, his eyes fixed on Vanya with bitter resentment for a moment; before he turned away to rest his arm against the mantle and stare into the flames.

"May I ask what I have done to so securely ensure your hatred?" Vanya asked him, rising to stand at his side; and fighting to control her irritation at his seemingly unfounded dislike of her. She could not understand it…his harshness towards her…his acting like she had offended him, simply by existing. After all, she had done nothing to him that was deserving of such a negative reaction...at least not directly. And she could not control the actions of her kin any more than he could. But, before she could ponder the cause of his hatred any further, she saw him move a fraction of an inch; nostrils flaring as he spoke softly.

"You have thrown yourself into our journey, elf, when you were not asked. We have no need for your supposed skills; despite Gandalf's belief to the contrary. And we will not suffer the loss of gold that is ours by birth just so that you may have a share in the riches" He replied, steel lacing his tone as he turned to face her. His anger…all the bitterness that had been lingering inside him had risen to the surface. And Vanya found that she could not control her tongue any longer; anger at the dwarf's actions towards her mingling with the bitterness and displacement she felt towards her own people as she spoke.

"I would no sooner take a share of your gold then I would slit my own throat" She hissed, refusing to back down as Thorin's gaze darkened even further "I care nothing for gold, especially gold which never belonged to me to begin with. Perhaps if you bothered to get past your own greed, you would see that."

Thorin opened his mouth to speak then, his hand clenching into a fist; but before he could utter the first word, a tiny moan from the couch tore his attention away from the offensive. Sparing a passing glance at the hobbit, who had just begun to stir out of unconsciousness; he glanced back at Vanya, his voice a low, commanding whisper.

"Do not presume to teach me the error of my ways, elf. My thoughts are my own."

He turned back to face the flames then, and opting to get out of his vicinity as quickly as she possibly could before saying something that she would later regret; Vanya moved over to the edge of the couch, crouching down and taking the hobbit's hand as he finally opened his eyes.

"Oh" He said as he looked at her blearily "I guess…I wasn't dreaming."

"I'm afraid not" Vanya replied, watching as Bilbo hauled himself up into a sitting position. He still looked a little shaken up…and he tugged at the blanket that rested along the back of the couch; pulling it over his lap as he spoke.

"I was hoping that perhaps I had just imbibed in too much ale again" He said wistfully, casting an almost resigned glance around his sitting room. He looked down at his hands which were placed carefully in his lap then, shaking his head once before continuing "Bilbo Baggins…oh, if only your parents could see you now."

Laughing softly at the irony of what, exactly, would ensue if her own family could see her at this very moment; Vanya situated herself on the floor at Bilbo's feet, careful to avoid sitting upon the blanket where it had pooled on the ground. She was just about to open her mouth to speak to Bilbo yet again; when a low hum began to wind its way through the room, causing her to freeze in mid action. It took a moment for her to realize that the sound was coming from the dwarves gathered around the fire beside her…and she quickly clamped her mouth shut and turned around to face the fire, just in time for Thorin to begin singing.

_Far over the Misty Mountains cold_

_To dungeons deep and caverns old_

_We must away, ere break of day_

_To find our long forgotten gold._

His voice was low…barely audible from her position on the ground, with him turned away from her. But yet, it carried the words of the song as though he were singing for all the world to hear. Looking up from the firelight to watch him standing by the fire as he sang; Vanya felt as though she were an intruder on a long private grief. Witness to something that should have been kept amongst the dwarves, rather than shared with herself and Bilbo.

And yet here they both were; elf and hobbit. Beginners on a journey that clearly held so much history…so much power…that neither one of them could ever possibly hope to comprehend it.

Shaking her head slowly as she kept her ears open to hear the rest of the song, Vanya couldn't help but be reminded of that far away time when her father used to sing her to sleep; his voice a low hum as he held her to him while she slipped into the land of dreams. Strangely enough, Thorin's voice had a similar, tranquilizing quality to it; made even more potent when combined with the harmony created by the others in his company. And as she continued listening to him, easily allowing herself to get lost in the low timbre of his voice, Vanya found herself forced to tamp down memories of her childhood…of being held close, and cherished…of all the things she had left behind…as the dwarves' song continued on.

_The pines were roaring on the height_

_The winds were moaning in the night_

_The fire was red_

_It flaming spread_

_The trees like torches blazed with light._

Just as quickly as it had started, the song was over; returning the room to an almost flat silence in its wake. A brief pause ensued, before some of the dwarves began rustling about, chattering amongst themselves about where they were to sleep; while still others remained seated where they were, gazes far off in the distance as they longed for home. For his part, Bilbo remained rooted to his seat, as though transfixed; and after ensuring that he was still feeling alright, Vanya pulled herself up from her spot on the floor and moved off in search of Gandalf. She had questions; and many of them...questions that needed answers.

Fortunately for her, the elderly wizard was not far off…he had moved into the neighboring room while the dwarves had been singing, and was now seated in a chair and absently puffing away at his pipe while speaking with none other than Thorin. Upon seeing that she was not the only one who desired Gandalf's attention, Vanya paused; suddenly uncertain. Could she voice her doubts here; with the leader of the expedition also present? Or would he simply scoff at her concerns; saying that he knew all along that she was unfit for their journey? Shaking herself, Vanya waited patiently for Gandalf to be free once again; listening attentively as she registered Thorin speaking.

"I cannot guarantee his safety" The dwarf was saying, bent so close to Gandalf's ear that Vanya was almost certain no one else was meant to hear. Hanging back so that it did not appear that she was eavesdropping, she waited for the proper moment to approach the wizard; watching as a puff of smoke furled out from Gandalf's lips as he replied to Thorin's statement.

"Understood."

"Nor will I be responsible for his fate" Thorin finished, drawing back from Gandalf and locking eyes with Vanya as he added "Or hers."

"I will look after the hobbit" Vanya said then, narrowing her eyes at Thorin as he raised an eyebrow at her; clearly doubting that she was capable of such a feat "And I can take care of myself well enough."

A low rumble of disapproval was the only reply she received from the dwarf before he brushed past her and was swallowed by the flurry of activity in the other room as his company began setting up camp for the evening. Heaving an exasperated sigh as she watched him disappear for a moment, Vanya turned to face Gandalf once again; an eyebrow raising as she noticed that he was chuckling…_chuckling_, of all things…at the encounter that he had just witnessed, before saying:

"A lofty promise to make, child. Be sure that you can afford such a distraction, and still maintain your own safety."

"You know I can fight, Mithrandir" Vanya said with a half smile, acknowledging the wizard's nod of assent before continuing "Can you be certain that Bilbo and I belong on such a journey though?"

"The two of you will find your place soon enough, Vanya" He said, hauling himself up off of the chair he had been sitting upon, and resting a steady hand on her shoulder as he continued "You need to trust me. I would not willingly throw you into peril if I thought you were not up to the task."

Nodding as he squeezed her shoulder one last time before moving off in search of a suitable place to sleep; Vanya did her best to squash her doubts about the quest to regain Erebor. She trusted Gandalf…she had for a very long time. And she knew that he would not send her into harm's way without a reasonable cause.

Still…that did not change the fact that she and Bilbo were utterly outside of the boundaries of the little group they had been thrown into. And she couldn't seem to shake the feeling that she and the tiny hobbit were indeed, very much alone; despite the presence of thirteen other companions.

Whether that changed over the course of their journey…well, that remained to be seen.

….

**Hi! Finally I have a new chapter for you! I was going back and forth with myself over how I wanted to do this particular chapter…so I hope you like how it turned out! I'm quite anxious to hear how you think I portrayed everyone (particularly Thorin, Fili, and Kili, since they're who we get to interact with the most for this update)…and if anyone has any suggestions for how I should proceed, I'd love to hear that too!**

**As always, a big thank you to all who have favorited/alerted/reviewed! It makes my day to get all of your notifications in my inbox!**

**Until the next time…**

**~MJR~**


	4. Bets and Memories

Vanya awoke the next morning to the feel of a hand squeezing her shoulder. A low moan escaped her as she stretched her muscles out slowly…apparently sleeping on the hobbit's couch had not been as comfortable as she had expected. Her lower back was stiff from curling in on herself in the night to keep warm; and she found herself flinching slightly as she moved to sit up.

"Prepare to leave, child. Thorin does not wish to delay" Gandalf said, offering her a small smile before dropping his hand back to his side, and walking off in the direction of Bilbo's pantry. Looking after him as he left, Vanya stood slowly; straightening the fabric of her clothing and tugging the braid out of her hair to rearrange it so that loose strands were not flying out as she slowly scanned the room to get her bearings. Most of the dwarves that she could see were already mostly packed and ready…and Vanya reached out to grab Kili's arm as he made to pass her with a bedroll; having discovered that a key member of their expedition appeared to be missing.

"Where is Bilbo?" She asked; concern coloring her voice as she glanced around the room again and still found the hobbit to be nowhere in sight. Kili's sheepish look in response was an answer in and of itself…and a brief wave of indignance flashed through her as she reached down to grab her sword from its place on the floor. Moving to secure the weapon around her waist; Vanya hurried past Kili and swept into the neighboring room, squeezing between Bombur and Bofur as she caught sight of her target.

Thorin.

"You plan to leave the hobbit behind, then."

It was not a question…merely a statement of fact. Vanya's eyes narrowed as she looked at the dwarf king; and she only just held back a flinch as he turned on her, his voice rough as he spoke.

"Why should it matter to you whether he comes or goes? He is of no consequence to you."

"He is a part of this quest, just as much as anyone else here" Vanya countered; moving to step in front of him as he attempted to walk away from her "Why else did you come to his home, if it matters so little that he accompany you? You could have just as easily left him alone."

"And I might have, had it not been for the meddling of Gandalf" Thorin replied, using his hand to nudge her to the side so that he could move past her "You would do well to remember that the wizard's meddling is the only reason _you_ are here, as well."

Vanya remained rooted in place for a moment, watching him walk out the front door; the retort she had in mind dying in her throat as she heard Gandalf approached her once again.

"I leave you alone for a moment, and already you are picking a fight with him?" He questioned, a laugh following soon after as he placed his hand at Vanya's back "And to think I once assumed you to be a rather docile creature."

"I am, Gandalf. But…" She trailed off then, looking up at the wizard with confusion and irritation in her eyes "I do not know how I am to make this journey if he insists on being so _insufferable_."

"I suspect, Vanya, that this quest will teach you much about the stubbornness of dwarves" The old man replied, nudging her forward as he continued "And they, in turn, will have a surprise or two of their own when they learn of yours."

Unable to suppress a smile at the wizard's teasing, Vanya allowed him to lead her out the door of the hobbit hole after the others; her spirits once again lifting as she saw her beloved horse standing beside the ponies that the dwarves were preparing for their journey. Gandalf must have sent for him in the night; as she had previously been instructed to make the remainder of the journey from Bree to the Shire on foot…and it was not long before the elf woman was rushing over to her beloved mount; running her hand through his mane and leaning forward to press her forehead against his as she spoke softly to him.

"_Nae saian luume', Chretiennne_" She whispered, scratching the animal's ears; a smile quirking up the corners of her mouth as he whickered happily and nuzzled his face into her hand "_Oio naa elealla allase'_."

"Do you suppose he understands you?" Kili asked then, his sudden appearance with his own pony at her side causing Vanya to jump as she turned around to face him. Recovering from her shock, she nodded once; hoisting herself up in the saddle as she replied:

"We speak in our native tongue to all creatures from the day of their birth. So I suppose they do understand, in a way." As she spoke, she adjusted her position in the saddle; rubbing Chretienne's neck as she went on "It calms them, as well; whether they understand the words' meaning or not. Which comes in handy in strange situations."

"But how can it calm them, if they don't understand?" Ori piped in, maneuvering his pony to stand beside Kili's; a puzzled look taking over his expression. His timid demeanor, coupled with the innocence that seemed to emanate from him in waves only caused Vanya's smile to brighten; and she turned a bit in the saddle to face him as she responded to his question.

"I assume it is very similar to a mother's soft words calming the cries of her child; even before that child learns to speak" She answered, a brief pang of sadness hitting her as she recalled how her own mother used to comfort her when she was frightened or upset. Shaking her head slightly to ward off such thoughts, she spoke up again, saying:

"It has more to do with the tone of speech, than the actual language used. They can sense a soothing tone, and differentiate it from an urgent one. And I think that makes all the difference in the world."

"Saddle up. We ride immediately" Thorin's voice rang out suddenly from the front of the company; startling Vanya, Ori, and Kili with its urgency. The look he threw them before mounting his own horse suggesting that clearly, this was not a man keen on wasting time with small talk…and Kili offered a conspiratorial grin to Vanya as he scrambled atop his own mount; tossing his wind-blown brown hair out of his eyes as he spoke.

"And speaking of tones, I do believe that our esteemed leader has as much ability to comfort a horse or crying baby with his voice as the Great Dragon would."

"Well if anyone should ask, that conclusion was entirely your idea" Vanya replied, laughing as the three of them nudged their horses in line behind the others and made to depart Bag End. She spared a brief glance back at the tiny dwelling in an attempt to discern if Bilbo would come rushing out after them...but upon seeing that he did not appear to be moving about, she turned back on her horse; following the others down the lane and out onto the main passageway through town.

They continued on, for the most part in silence, through the twists and turns of the roads in Hobbiton; a chorus of laughter occasionally erupting from the back of the company as Kili and Fili, who had moved back to join his brother at the rear, attempted to draw Vanya into their stream of traveling jokes. She somehow managed to hold her own with them; occasionally gaining the upper hand with a joke of her own that succeeded in stumping them…but all joking was quickly cast aside when the one they called Dwalin fell back to join them; lowering his voice in a whisper.

"The lads have got a bet going about whether the Halfling will turn up or not" He began, a twitch of his mustache the only indication that he was smiling "A purse each to the winners."

Fili and Kili both eagerly agreed to Dwalin's proposal; eyes alight with enthusiasm as they both cast their vote in favor of Bilbo. The bald dwarf's eyes turned to Vanya soon after the younger dwarves had informed him of where they stood, and after a brief moment's hesitation, he included her in the game.

"And what'll your bet be, lass?" He asked, keen eyes trained on her as he awaited her reply "You saw yourself the state he was in at the prospect of such a venture."

Narrowing her eyes at him as they continued riding along, Vanya nodded her assent before speaking up; her tone cool and aloof as she did the exact opposite of what Dwalin probably expected.

"He will come" She said, smiling tightly at the grunt that statement earned from Dwalin as he returned to the front of the company. Truthfully, she really had never held much interest in gambling; despite how much her father and her brother had always enjoyed betting on things like the weather or a game of arrows…but something about the way that Dwalin had watched her…as though he expected that she would be easily swayed by his intense stare…had driven her to side with the young hobbit. After all, she _had _promised Gandalf that she would look after him.

And defending his honor was one way of doing just that.

….

It couldn't have been more than twenty minutes later when breathless shouts reached their ears; a clear indication that the hobbit would, indeed, be making this journey with them. Vanya, Fili, and Kili shared a satisfied smirk as they heard him drawing nearer; and the entire company came to a halt as Bilbo Baggins himself finally burst through the foliage, contract fluttering about in the breeze as he skidded to a halt. Thrusting the document up so that Balin could make sure that everything was in order; the tiny hobbit stood there, panting as he tried to catch his breath. His eyes met Vanya's then, and she offered him a small smile before leaning down to whisper in Chretienne's ear to calm him. The sudden appearance of Bilbo had startled the horse…and it stood as yet another reminder of how unaccustomed both horse and rider were to the companionship they now held.

"Get the Halfling a pony" Thorin said then, sparing Bilbo only the briefest of glances before nudging his mount forward once again and turning his back on the company behind him. It was then that Vanya realized that the poor hobbit probably had no inkling of how to ride a horse…but before she could say anything to that matter; she heard Bilbo protesting from behind her.

"Oh no, I'm quite alright on foot" He was saying, shaking his head and casting a pleading look in Vanya's direction. Before she could move to take him up on her own horse, however, Fili and Kili had already hoisted the stunned Halfling onto the spare pony, Myrtle. As the hobbit flailed around, trying to get his balance; and startling his pony in the process, Vanya urged Chretienne over to where he struggled, reaching out a hand to steady him as she spoke.

"Easy there" She said, keeping her hand placed firmly on Bilbo's back until he managed to right himself "The most important thing about riding a horse is not to panic. They can sense it, and it drives them mad."

"I've never ridden before" He replied, casting her a helpless look as he looked down at the reins in his hand; clearly unsure of what to do with them.

"I know that, Bilbo. But you should probably avoid letting your horse in on that little secret" Vanya said, smiling and holding Chretienne back a bit so that she could remain at Bilbo's side "Confidence is important with animals. They need to know you're in control. And you can only gain that control with practice."

"What practice?" The hobbit muttered, staring down at Myrtle's head as though he expected her to throw him off at any second.

"Ideally you get someone who has never ridden before out in a field and let them canter around a bit" Vanya explained, holding up a hand to halt Bilbo's impending retort as she continued "But since trial by fire seems to be the preferred method these days; we'll just have to work with what we're given."

Bilbo let out an exasperated sigh then, slowly loosening his grip on the reins as he became certain that he wasn't about to be tossed to the ground. Vanya could tell that he was apprehensive about the journey…she could read it in how he sat stiffly upon Myrtle's back, staring straight ahead as the company continued moving forward. And she found herself wishing that she could find some way to cheer him up…to assure him that she _would_ do all in her power to make sure he stayed safe…

"Vanya!" Kili exclaimed then, startling her out of her thoughts as she whipped her head up to face him. He rode just a few feet in front of where she and Bilbo were; and a mischievous smile spread across his face as he drew back his right hand; only to send a small brown purse sailing her way. The throw had been cast a bit too far to the right...but Vanya was spared the trouble of alarming both Myrtle and Chretienne by the sudden move that would have been necessary to catch it when Gandalf drew back to join her and Bilbo at the rear. He caught the tiny package easily in his left hand, handing it to Vanya with a flourish and a smile, before turning to acknowledge Bilbo.

"Glad to see you've caught up."

The hobbit nodded once, caught off guard by yet another purse sailing through the air ahead of them and landing in the Ori's outstretched hand. Throwing a quizzical look at the wizard, Bilbo returned his gaze to the road in front of him as he said:

"What's that all about?"

"It seems they placed bets as to whether or not you would show" Gandalf replied, barely concealing his smile as Bilbo's expression turned from curious to affronted.

"And what did you think?" The hobbit asked, turning his attention from Gandalf, to Vanya, and back to Gandalf again as he awaited a reply.

"I sided with you" Vanya interjected, allowing a laugh to escape as, simultaneous with her reply, yet another purse flew their way. Gandalf, of course, caught it easily; and he winked at the two riders beside him as he spoke.

"My dear hobbit, I never doubted you for a second."

Bilbo looked somewhat relieved then, knowing that there were at least some in the company that didn't find him to be a complete lost cause…and he soon fell into a comfortable conversation with Gandalf and Vanya; occasional interjections being made by Balin or Kili as the day wore on and they continued onward towards their destination. They did not stop for supper until the sun had long since set below the clouds, as Thorin wished to keep a grueling pace all the way to the mountain, if he could; and Vanya found herself exceedingly grateful for the respite when it finally came. She had always loved riding…she had been doing so ever since she could remember. But to cover so much ground with no break save for when Bilbo thought he had forgotten his handkerchief…that was a bit much, even for her.

After helping the hobbit get down gingerly from Myrtle's back, Vanya stepped back to give him room to reacquaint himself with the sensation of stepping on land; Thorin's voice startling her as he called out from across the site they had chosen for their camp.

"Vanya, Fili, Kili…firewood" He ordered, barely looking up from his own task of tying up his pony with the others as he went on; issuing tasks for each other member of their traveling party. Eager to stay out of his way as it was apparent his surly mood had not improved much; Vanya hurried over to where the two youngest dwarves were standing, a hand staying at the hilt of her sword as the three of them disappeared into the forest to carry out their task. Even when tethered together with the other ponies, who were in fact rather docile; Chretienne had never quite shed his nervous behavior…and that fact in and of itself was enough to set her nerves on edge. For their part, though, Fili and Kili seemed blissfully unaware that danger could be lurking just beyond the shadows of the forest; and Vanya did her best not to let her anxiety show, for fear that it would spark a never ending string of teasing from the two brothers if she did.

After a few minutes of roaming about the forest in silence, picking sturdy looking pieces of wood that would be suitable for a fire as they went, Vanya found herself startled out of her thoughts as a voice rang through the trees.

"This looks like a good one, brother" Kili's voice called out from a few feet ahead; waving a rather large looking chunk of what was once a tree branch over his head.

"You're right, Kili" Fili replied, casting a smirk back at Vanya before continuing "Perfect for hitting you round the head."

"Not if I hit you first" Was Kili's enthusiastic reply, and before either Vanya or Fili could react; he was hurtling across the space between them, knocking his brother to the ground with a whoop. Vanya merely stepped aside as she watched the two siblings rolling over each other on the ground; a peal of laughter escaping as she took in how wood was now scattered about around them as they continued their wrestling. Leaping backwards as the brothers suddenly rolled towards her, she cast aside all hope of holding onto the wood that she had collected; tossing it to the side as she carefully placed a foot down on Fili's travelling cloak to stop him from going after his brother once again.

"Don't you think we've had enough of this foolishness?" She asked, still breathless from laughter at the brothers' antics "Thorin is probably beside himself with why we've taken so long."

"She's right, brother" Fili called, nudging a hand at Vanya's foot to get her to allow him to stand once again as he continued "We should be getting back."

"Fine, Vanya, help me get up" Kili called; still lying flat on the ground as he watched his brother gather up some of the scattered wood. Nodding her assent, Vanya approached him with her hand outstretched; only to find herself pulled down on top of him, a startled yelp escaping her lips as she lost her footing. Kili quickly rolled out from under her then, getting up quickly and sending a mock bow her way before gathering his own contribution to the firewood and darting off after his brother; a laugh echoing out behind the two of them as they ran back towards the camp.

Blinking a few times, Vanya scrambled up off of the ground; a grin toying with the edges of her mouth as she quickly picked up the logs she had cast aside before darting off in the direction that Fili and Kili had gone. A part of her could not deny that for the first time in what seemed like ages; she felt lighter…more carefree…despite the nature of the task she was partaking in, and the clear dislike the leader of their expedition felt towards her. And she found herself reminded of the antics she and her brother used to partake in when they were younger as she continued gaining on Fili and Kili; finally overtaking them as they sped into the clearing where the others were setting about preparing for dinner.

A number of the dwarves that had been hurrying about in their own tasks paused to look at the source of the commotion caused by the trio that had just returned from the forest; but before anyone could comment, a high pitched screech rang through the trees, reaching their ears and causing Vanya to freeze on the spot. She knew that sound…she knew it well; and it caused her blood to freeze in her veins as she looked at the dawning recognition on everyone else's faces as they realized what had caused such a din.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked, eyes wide with shock and perhaps a bit of terror as he looked around at everyone; the look on his face clearly stating that he was well aware of the palpable tension in the group created by the sound.

"Orcs" Fili replied; casting his brother a mischievous look before elaborating "There will be dozens of them out there."

Vanya saw Bilbo's face pale at that statement, and she quickly set the firewood down in an out of the way spot before moving over to stand by his side; her hand once again at the hilt of her sword as she heard Kili chime in.

"They come at night" He said, throwing his brother a wink "Attack while people are sleeping. There are no screams…just lots of blood."

Both brothers, along with a few of the other dwarves shared a laugh then; but their mirth was short-lived as Thorin stood from where he had been seated, throwing a glare towards the pranksters as he said:

"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

His voice was low…menacing, almost; and Vanya did not miss how quickly Fili and Kili shrank back from Thorin's approaching form as Kili spoke up.

"We didn't mean anything by it."

"No you didn't" Thorin said, brushing past where they were standing, and heading towards a secluded area of the camp where the ponies were resting "You know nothing of the world."

Staring after him, Vanya could not help but wonder at the venom behind his words…she would have expected him to lash out like that at her…but some of his own kin? That was another thing entirely. Fili and Kili, too, seemed suddenly downtrodden by the verbal lashing they had received; and Vanya was just about to say something to them when Balin approached.

"Don't mind him, laddies" He said, leaning up against the rock face that they were sheltering under "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs."

The old dwarf then proceeded to detail the exact story behind Thorin's hatred of orcs…he told of the battle for Moria. Of how the king had been beheaded…how Thorin's own father had disappeared that day. And how Thorin himself had battled the leader of the enemy…the orc whose name sent a chill racing through Vanya's body.

Azog the Defiler.

Moving away from the circle as Balin continued telling the story of how they eventually took back the mines for their own, despite heavy losses to their race; Vanya strode silently through the grass to stand beside Thorin. As she came to a stop, a fleeting look of shock swept across the dwarf king's face as he took note of her presence, but that soon was gone; and he was back to business, gruff tone and harsh looks taking over once again as he addressed her.

"Come to scold me for how I interact with my kin?" He asked, his voice harsh once again as he gave her a look that would have made her retreat; but for the deep sadness that still remained in his blue eyes "Does the arrogance of the elves know no bounds?"

Swallowing her retort, Vanya tried her best to ignore the anger his remark caused as she chose instead to focus on the pity…on the beginnings of an understanding…that she had for his trials…for what he had lived through. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she looked out into the night as she spoke.

"I…I know what it is to lose someone you love to orcs" She began, skirting around the specifics of the matter in order to avoid eliciting still more hostile remarks about her race "I know that pain. The agony that takes over when you realize you could have done nothing to save them..." She trailed off, biting her lower lip as she looked from the horses to the dwarf standing beside her. Even after all these years, that night…that memory of Azog's horde tracking and killing her mother still brought tears to her eyes; and she found herself averting her gaze to the ground so that Thorin would not see as she awaited his reply.

"And yet you still think I was wrong to rebuke my nephews for their jest" He said, his tone surprisingly flat when compared to the harsh tones he usually employed when addressing her.

"I know that memories of the past hurt deeply" Vanya replied, bringing her eyes to meet his once again as she went on "But I also know that letting the grief consume you…letting the rage take over…that can only lead to more pain."

Before Thorin could say another word, however, Vanya left him; retreating from his side to return to the fire. Already she had come close to disclosing too much…to giving him still more hints as to her identity. Whatever leniency she had been shown as of now would disappear, she knew, if anyone were to learn her lineage…and so she kept quiet about the exact details of her hatred towards orcs…of how the beast who had stolen so much from the dwarves had also ended her childhood, so many years ago…

That secret was something that she would not tell them; at least not yet. But she had to wonder…would it change their perception of her if they knew the truth?

These thoughts and more plagued her for the rest of the evening; and as the camp drifted into a somber sleep, Vanya fell into a fitful one…dreaming of orcs and the dwarf king who slayed them against all odds.

…

**Phew! How do ya like that kinda sorta cliffhanger thing? Haha! **

**Thank you all, again, for your patience in waiting for updates! I'm anxious to see how you liked the extra snippet I put in there with Fili/Kili, AND what you think about the big reveal at the end! What I'm going for is to gradually establish subtle connections between her and the dwarves so that, over time, a more welcoming relationship can develop. That way, by the time we get to DOS, hopefully we'll have Vanya **_**and**_** Bilbo as part of the group, as opposed to outsiders. Sound good?**

**As usual, thank you so much for reading and reviewing in the past, and now! I really do appreciate every one of you!**

**And as always, I look forward to seeing your thoughts!**

**Until next time…**

**~MJR~**

**Ps-below are translations for the little bits of elvish I used here. Got the translations off of the internet so please understand that they may not be accurate (and do accept my sincerest apologies if they are not. If anyone has a good site for elf/dwarf languages, could you let me know? I'd love to play around with them a bit!)**

**Ciao!**

_Nae saian luume', Chretiennne_—It has been too long, Chretienne

_Oio naa elealla allase'_—Ever is thy sight a joy


	5. Hesitant Company

Early the next morning, Vanya stared out at the surrounding landscape almost without actually seeing it. Despite the harsh beauty of the rocks and trees around her; she could not seem to tear her mind from the events of the previous evening. Try though she might, her thoughts remained riveted upon Balin's tale of the fall of Thorin's father and grandfather; and his own heroic battle against the pale orc. For all of the dwarf king's seeming pride, he too had been affected by the grief that comes with loss of family. Grief that stems not only from that loss, but from the terrible helplessness that follows in the wake of knowing you could have done nothing to stop what had happened. And that fact gave the two of them something Vanya had never expected to find.

Common ground. And yet, he could not know they shared this commonality…a bond that would perhaps stand a chance at breaking his unwavering animosity towards her. He could not know that she shared his pain…not without revealing who she truly was; and likely thwarting any hope of gaining his trust and respect forever.

Shaking her head slightly at the situation before her; Vanya took note of Thorin approaching from the other side of the camp, stepping in between his travelling companions and exchanging the obligatory greetings with them before coming to a stop at her side. She raised an eyebrow at him as he stood there, watching her for a moment before he gave her a curt nod as her only form of greeting.

"Wake the Halfling. We leave immediately."

As the dwarf moved away from her, Vanya spared a brief moment in contemplation of Thorin's voluntary choice of interaction with her; as brief as it was…but she quickly cast that aside, opting in favor of placing a gentle hand against the sleeping Bilbo's shoulder as she spoke:

"Wake up, Bilbo. Thorin says it is time to depart."

The hobbit groaned sleepily then, eyes scrunching closed even more tightly, before they finally fluttered open and landed upon the elf woman before him.

"Five more minutes?" He inquired; watching with some semblance of hope in his features until Vanya shook her head and replied:

"I'm afraid not. Though you are welcome to persuade Thorin otherwise…"

"No, no, I'll get up; thank you very much."

"I suspected you would see it that way" Vanya laughed; stepping to the side to permit the hobbit to haul himself to his feet. A brief surge of annoyance tore through her at how Thorin's countenance was such that the hobbit did not dare ask for common pleasantries such as sufficient sleep…especially when he was used to far more than their company had obtained the previous night. But she was quickly distracted from her thoughts as Bilbo came to her side and nudged at her arm; his pack on his back and an apple in his outstretched hand.

"You should eat something" He said, nodding his approval as she took the apple from him; raising it to her lips for a bite as he continued "I think everyone would be a bit happier on this journey if we kept to conventional eating schedules."

Smiling at the hobbit, Vanya swallowed a bit of the apple before replying "Perhaps so. But where would be the fun in that?"

Bilbo managed a half-hearted shrug of assent, his expression turning to a grimace as Kili approached with Myrtle and Chretienne in tow. The hobbit retreated backwards a bit, clearly apprehensive about being thrust in the saddle again; and Vanya could sense the discomfort in his voice as he spoke.

"Really, I do not understand why you won't let me _walk_" He huffed, scowling at Kili's smirk as the youngest dwarf in their company held the reigns out to him "It's not like I am a stranger to it. In fact, I find it rather enjoyable."

"You aren't likely to keep up with us if you travel that way" Kili replied, nudging Myrtle over to stand by Bilbo and discarding her reigns into his keeping before turning Chretienne over to Vanya. The elf eagerly took her horse, rubbing him affectionately behind the ears, allowing the horse to munch on some of the apple Bilbo had given her before she assisted the hobbit in getting back in the saddle. Taking note of his grunt of disapproval as she helped him navigate his feet through the stirrups; Vanya stepped back once she was certain he was securely in place, a faint smile covering her face as Kili spoke once again.

"We'll make a rider out of him yet" He said, grinning when Bilbo gave him a look that could make a less hearty individual's skin crawl before nudging Myrtle forward to join the rest of the company as they moved away from camp. Exchanging a grin, Vanya and Kili scrambled up onto their own mounts; urging the horses to catch up to the rest of the company at a quick canter. They passed the rest of that morning at a brisk pace, only stopping for a few moments to allow their horses to drink from a nearby stream; before Thorin was pushing them forward once again. For their part, Fili, Kili, and Ori did their best to keep Bilbo distracted from the pain of a second full day in the saddle…and this left Vanya alone with her thoughts. Thoughts of the past…thoughts of the day she lost her mother.

She remembered the day that her father's most trusted messenger, Eruvadhor, came to them bearing the news…a band of orcs led by the Defiler had ambushed the queen as she was journeying back to them from Rivendell. She had just breached the borders of their lands when they struck…and owing to an injury rendering one of her guards incapable of fighting; the queen had been forced to take matters into her own hands and fight the pale orc herself. Eruvadhor told father, son, and daughter how bravely she had fought…but the orc was too strong for her. He cut her down without mercy. Without remorse. And thus began the rift between Thranduil and his daughter…the one person whose very appearance reminded him so vividly of the love he had lost.

The king of Mirkwood sent his son and daughter to Lothlorien soon after his beloved wife's burial, where they were to remain in the care of Galadriel and her husband, Celeborn for the next several years while their father healed…or at least made steps in that direction. But he never truly was the same man he had been before his wife had been taken from him…his grief always holding sway over him, despite being reunited with his children…despite the relative peace their kingdom endured. Vanya had been the first to notice the change in her father's demeanor despite the passage of time; and her concern for his well-being, coupled with a willful nature that wouldn't take his self-imposed isolation silently soon began to render her at odds with him no matter how hard she tried to bring him back to the world…to his family.

They were both too similar; father and daughter…both with a will of iron when it suited them; strong, capable, and fierce to a fault. Thranduil's desire to protect his daughter from suffering the same fate as her mother only served to further alienate Vanya from him, however. He sought only to protect her…and himself…from more pain. But despite the tension…the arguing that ensued, Vanya refused to be shut up in their home; and Thranduil refused to let her out without the company of her brother or one of the members of the guard.

It was only when he caught her training with Legolas and the other members of the guard that the king began to see just how capable his daughter was. He saw, and marveled at how she wove in and out of the throng of her mock-attackers; felling every one of them with the blunt blades they commonly used for training. Unbeknownst to him, she had taken up the sword in an effort to protect herself and her kin…and he knew, then, that she could take care of herself; despite his initial misgivings. Gradually, he revoked his stringent restrictions that had been placed upon her…and the two of them slowly began mending their relationship; eventually returning to something reminiscient to a time before her mother had passed.

But then the darkness came. Whispers of a terrible power housed in Dol Goldur drove her father into desperation; forcing him to take their people north. Forcing him to arrange his daughter's journey to the Grey Havens, so that she might be safe from the imminent danger he was so sure threatened them more and more every day. And that final decision had brought her here, to Thorin Oakenshield's company of dwarves.

Regarding her presence on this journey, Vanya was still uncertain that following Gandalf's suggestion in joining this excursion had been a wise decision. It seemed that only four of the company held any sort of interest in being at least cautiously friendly towards her…but where, then, would she go if she did not stay with them? Would she find it in herself to hunt down the orcs that had fought under the Defiler herself? Would she be able to seek revenge for her mother's death without causing her own as well? Or would she wander about Middle Earth as Gandalf had said, aimless and alone?

Shaking herself, Vanya nudged Chretienne forward a bit to catch up with the others; having been so lost in thought that she had allowed herself to fall behind. It wouldn't do to doubt her position now. After all, she had promised that she would look after Bilbo…

And what kind of elf would she be if she strayed from her word?

"Don't let him trouble you, lassie" A voice spoke up from beside Vanya then; causing her to jump in the saddle as she turned to see who had addressed her. Balin was now riding by her side…he must have fallen back when he noticed that she was lagging behind…and Vanya pursed her lips in thought for a moment before replying.

"I…who are you referring to?" She asked, confusion evident in her tone as she addressed the dwarf who was obviously a trusted advisor of their leader. His presence had caught her off guard, and she was honestly surprised that he had even approached her at all.

"Thorin, of course" Balin responded, smiling slightly before continuing "He'll come around eventually."

"I highly doubt that" Vanya replied, disbelief coloring her tone as she arched an eyebrow at the older dwarf "It seems that being an elf is enough to secure his hatred for eternity."

"He was not always this way…this cold" Balin corrected her; a brief flicker of sadness crossing his face before he went on "But much has happened to him; and at such a young age…"

Shaking her head, Vanya reached a hand back to tug at her braid; allowing her hair to fall loose around her shoulders. Dragging her fingers through the unruly strands a few times, she began twisting it up to knot it in a bun as she spoke.

"Suffering is not his and his alone. There are others who have endured the same…and worse. And to allow that suffering to blind you to trust…to allow it to steer you so far into closed-mindedness that you may never come out…that is inexcusable."

"That may be, lass" Balin replied, nodding in understanding…after all, he too sometimes found their prince's prejudices a bit too strong…but he knew first-hand what had happened to form them…and he knew all that Thorin had lost "But there are some hurts that go too deep. Some scars that never heal. That, Vanya, is what you must try to understand."

Sending her a final nod, Balin urged his pony forward to join the majority of the company ahead of them; once again leaving the elf alone with her thoughts. Of course she knew very well what Thorin had endured. And she understood his pain; she really did. But was she to allow him to treat her however he pleased as a result of his past?

Biting her lower lip, Vanya drew the hood of her cloak up around her face as a steady rain began to fall upon them; her thoughts now turning from her own troubles to those of the dwarf king. She knew that she _should_ try to be understanding; especially given her own situation.

But _could_ she?

…

Hours later, the rain that had been merely inconvenient had turned into something that was completely insufferable; forcing the company to seek shelter within a nearby grouping of trees that spanned a fair distance of land apart from the road, as they soon discovered when they were forced to go deeper into its heart to escape the droplets falling through the trees. Each member found themselves in various states of undress as a result of their now sopping clothing; and they had begun hanging their clothes on the branches nearby that were low enough to be reached while some others began setting up for the night. Thorin's mood had darkened still further, if that were possible, at this delay; as evidenced by his retreat to a more secluded area of the camp site, and after she draped her cloak over a branch to dry, Vanya began picking through the fallen twigs and leaves to join Fili, Kili, and Bilbo in their spot by the fire.

"Come now, Bilbo" Kili was saying, a sly grin on his face as he sidled closer to the hobbit by the fire "Ask him."

"Ask who what?" Vanya interjected, bending down to sit in the spot provided when Fili scooted over to the side. By the stricken look on the young Halfling's face, she doubted the brothers were up to anything upstanding and honest…a fact that was confirmed when she heard Bilbo's stammered reply.

"I…I daresay I will not" He said, sending a pleading look Vanya's way as he shifted so that Kili could not reach him with his outstretched arm "I value my head, and its place on my shoulders very much, Master Dwarf."

In response to Vanya's quizzical expression, Fili leaned over towards her as his brother set in on the hobbit once again; giving her a conspiratorial grin as he said:

"The Halfling was making claims about the wonders of his home-made stew. Kili and I just wanted to see if he would actually pony up and fix it for us."

"But that would require permission from…" Vanya began, stopping mid-sentence as her eyes flew wide at her realization. Meal schedules and what they contained were made only at their leader's wish…moreover, the preparer of the meals for each night had been already pre-determined by Thorin and Balin, in a similar fashion as who would retrieve the firewood or gather supplies for continuing their journey the next day. And Vanya suspected that any deviation from this plan would not be met with approval…least of all from the one who seemed to value obedience above all else.

"Yes, yes it would" Fili replied, arching an eyebrow at the incredulous expression Vanya wore as he continued "Which is all a part of the fun, you see."

Narrowing her eyes at the blond dwarf, Vanya prepared to step in on Bilbo's behalf, only to be brought up short as the hobbit stood from his position on the forest floor; squaring his shoulders before marching off in the direction of where Thorin was sitting alone.

"He's not actually…" Vanya said, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth as she watched the hobbit and Thorin exchange a few words. Turning her gaze to Kili, she asked "What exactly did you do to make him concede?"

Kili shrugged non-chalantly, giving his brother a smirk before replying "I may have told him we'd make him sleep on Myrtle for a week if he didn't."

"Oh well played, brother" Fili laughed, slapping his brother on the shoulder affectionately as Bilbo returned; an unreadable expression on his face. The hobbit stood there for a moment or two, cautiously eyeing the three before him as though trying to figure out his next move; his hand going briefly to his curls before he spoke.

"Your uncle has given me permission to cook, provided I choose someone to make sure I do not poison the food" He said, clearly offended at the notion that he would do anything of the sort "Vanya, if you would please."

Startled, the elf looked from Bilbo, to the brothers, and back to Bilbo again; surprise etched into her features as she said "I doubt I'm the person Thorin had in mind."

"No, probably not" Bilbo said, an unusual expression…almost akin to something mischievous…crossing his features before he went on "But as our fearless leader made no specifications as to who I should pick; I feel that you are my best option."

Doing her best to tamp down her apprehension, Vanya made to follow Bilbo over closer to the fire; watching intently as he began rummaging through their supplies for the necessary items before setting to work preparing the vegetables and boiling them. As they continued working, Vanya found it increasingly easy to allow her mind to become completely consumed by the act of preparing a meal…something she had rarely ever had the opportunity or the need to do until now. But now that she could see the intricacies involved…the care it took to prepare…she found herself developing still more respect for the hobbit who had cast all his familiar comforts aside when he joined their quest.

Bilbo was quite the cook…and an even better teacher; seeming to thrive with the opportunity to do what he loved the most. Hobbit and elf soon found that they were not alone by the small pot hanging over the fire now…first Bombur, then Ori, Dori, and Nori trickled over; watching them with intent expressions as the smells of the stew began wafting through the camp. The mood of the company seemed to lighten immensely as clothes dried and food finished cooking; and as Bilbo dished out his creation, Vanya took a step back, faint amazement stealing through her at how easily food could mend even the sourest of dispositions.

Or at least, everyone's except Thorin's.

Despite the crowd around Bilbo's stew pot, the dwarf king still remained rooted to the spot on the outside of the ring created by the fire; his eyes distant as he sat, staring at a tree opposite him. Letting out a sigh, Vanya took the bowl offered to her by Nori; smiling in thanks before stepping around the circle of hungry dwarves and making her way to where Thorin was seated. He didn't seem to notice her approach at first, so Vanya cleared her throat awkwardly; fighting the urge to take a step back as he turned his head slightly to level a flat look in her direction.

"I thought…I thought you might be interested in some food" She said softly, holding the bowl out in front of her as the dwarf moved to stand up. The glare he sent her in response had her backtracking quickly; but she never had a chance to speak before he brushed past her, his voice low as he said:

"What I want, elf, is some peace and quiet."

Dumbfounded, Vanya watched him disappear into the shadows of the forest, doing her best to ward off anger at his rebuke of what she had intended to be a kind gesture. He truly didn't understand her at all if he intended to take everything she did as offensive…and it was all she could do not to set the bowl aside and venture off into the forest after him to press the matter; choosing instead to join Kili, Fili, and Ori where they were perched on a log, listening to Gandalf.

Balin had said not to let Thorin bother her. To try to understand him. And while she highly doubted she would _ever_ comprehend the dwarf that so loathed her…

She wasn't about to let him frighten her away from those dwarves who _did_ seem to welcome her.

…

**Well hello! Here I am again with more! I hadn't intended to post this chapter tonight along with the other; but apparently I've been bitten by the motivation bug. What can ya do, right?**

**As always, thank you so very much to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/alerted this story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please don't hesitate to give me your thoughts! What would you like to see next? Anything you want to see more of? Less of? Love it? Hate it? I'm open to all thoughts!**

**Until next time**

**~MJR~**


	6. Wrench in the Plan

The better part of the following day was spent almost exclusively in the saddle; the delay caused by the rain having rendered Thorin in an almost panicked state. Several times as the company prepared to depart their camping site, he could be heard grumbling to the others (more particularly Dwalin and Gandalf) about the delay and the troubles it posed to their journey…about how inconvenient it was having a Halfling and a woman along…and how it was seemingly the fault of the former for being so delicate as to render such adjustments in travel necessary in the first place. For their part, Vanya and Bilbo were rather refreshed from the night's rest; as were many of the other dwarves, and so they chose to simply ignore the ramblings of their disgruntled leader, deciding instead to clump together with Ori and Kili at the back of the travelling procession.

The younger members of the company found themselves readily immersed in animated conversation about various past mishaps they all had endured; quite easily ignoring the rest of the company as they traded stories. One such story, told by Kili, managed to put nearly everyone that was listening in stitches; and it was as the young dwarf was delivering the final line of the tale that Bofur appeared among them.

"If only you could've seen the look on Uncle's face!" Kili exclaimed, a laugh taking over him as he doubled over in the saddle "I think the only thing that saved us was Mother coming in at exactly the right moment."

"You mean what saved _you_" Ori interjected, a smile crossing his usually timid and serious features "Between the two of us, I think you were the one who needed to fear for your life."

"He wouldn't _really_ have killed you, though" Vanya began; incredulity lacing her tone as she raised an eyebrow at Thorin's dark-haired nephew. She could very well see Thorin being upset at his antics...but harming them physically? That was something that even she would hesitate to attribute to the surly dwarf prince.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, lass" Bofur spoke up, a playful smirk on his lips as he continued "We dwarves are very protective of our weapons. Touching another's implement of choice can be downright offensive to some; more particularly if said weapon has done great deeds in battle."

Vanya threw him a questioning look in response to his statement; which caused the jovial dwarf to wink at her before he clarified "Think of it this way. Another dwarf touching your weapon and wielding it for their own…well, it's probably the equivalent of what it would be if another elf tried to outdo his companion in archery. Or if a hobbit tried to best his neighbor's cooking prowess."

"But his own nephews?" Vanya questioned, still shocked that anyone, Thorin included, could be persuaded to harm their own kin. Discipline was one thing. But taking that too far so that the individual at fault feared for their life? That was another thing entirely.

"I believe that Thorin assumed his own kin ought to have known better" Bofur supplied, a knowing smile twitching the corner of his lip upwards as he finished "But then, we _are_ talking about Kili…"

"Oi! Fili and Ori were involved as well" Kili protested, eyes wide in mock indignation at Bofur's words. The older dwarf sent him a sideways look then; and Kili looked down for a moment, sighing forlornly before he conceded "But it may have been my idea."

"As I suspected" Bofur teased, ignoring Kili's answering scowl before turning his gaze to Vanya and asking:

"And what of you, lass. Did you partake in mischief as a young elfling? Or were you always as well-mannered as you are now?"

Thinking back to her more recent encounters with Thorin, in addition to the disagreements with her father in the past; Vanya had to laugh at the insinuation that she was "well-mannered" in the truest sense of the term. But upon seeing the expectant looks on not only Bofur's face; but Kili's, Bilbo's, and Ori's as well, she relented.

"I was liable to get into a fair amount of mischief myself" She began, rolling her eyes at Kili's skeptical expression before she continued "I seem to recall a time when my brother and I determined that, despite father's protests to the contrary; we were both big enough to ride his warhorse. We were both so sure of ourselves that we snuck into the stables after dark to get him out; and proceeded to take turns letting him carry us at will around the perimeter of our home."

"And what happened then?" Bilbo inquired, finally piping up from his silence as he nudged Myrtle closer to the rest of the group "I assume there was some manner in which your father found out?"

"Oh of course" Vanya laughed, adjusting a stray tendril of her dark hair behind her ear "The horse got spooked by one of my brother's toy arrows whizzing by his ear in the dark; and proceeded to take off at a gallop into the forest."

"That must have been frightening" Ori said, his voice turning serious once again as he watched Vanya nod in agreement.

"It was" The elf replied, shifting a bit in the saddle as she went on "I was too small to be able to reach the stirrups with my feet, and I had not a clue how to steer him in the direction I wanted to go. At that time, my brother was the only one who had been extensively trained to ride; so it was all I could do to simply remain in the saddle until the horse came to a stop."

"But how did you get back?" Kili asked, his eyes alight with curiosity at finding yet another who had a knack for trouble as much as he did "How did you manage, without being able to direct the horse home?"

"I didn't" Vanya said, catching how Bilbo's eyes had flown wide before going on "By the time he slowed down, I was so lost that I stood no chance of getting back on my own; so I waited. It wasn't long before I heard my mother's voice calling for me in the distance…and the horse was intelligent enough to turn and move towards that sound until we met up with her."

"And was she upset?" Bofur asked, curious in spite of his disbelief that elves did anything even remotely mischievous.

"No…no, she was relieved I was alright" Vanya replied, a brief laugh at the memory of her mother's face; frantic with worry, resurfacing "Father, though, was furious. My brother and I were banned from even touching a horse for _weeks_; and we had to go everywhere with supervision. Which of course prompted numerous attempts to escape that supervision."

"Oh of course" Kili said, laughing as he leaned over to nudge Bofur in the arm as he went on "Like that time that Fili and I persuaded you to convince Uncle he needed to take a second look at the food stores so that I would have a chance to get back the arrows he had taken from me."

"Why did he take your arrows?" Bilbo asked him, a look that suggested he knew of many possible reasons for Thorin's action crossing his face as he awaited Kili's answer.

"He may have been a bit upset when one of them barely missed landing in Dwalin's backside" Kili replied, the look on his face a cross between amusement and chagrin. Vanya and Bilbo shared a look of shock at what must have been a similar mental image of the events that would have followed such an occurrence…both of them bursting into laughter simultaneously as the company ahead of them drew to a halt.

"We rest here tonight" Thorin's gruff voice rang out from the front of the group; and as if on command, everyone began dismounting at once, voices rising as they all began their routine chatter once again. Vanya busied herself with unobtrusively scanning the environment…something she had taken upon herself from the very beginning of her own departure from home; and a habit she found increasingly hard to break. Her eyes passed over mostly green grass, and the occasional tree dotting the landscape and extending backwards until they reached a forest. But it was not the terrain that caught her eye.

Near the far edge of where they had all gathered for the evening; unpacking bedrolls and necessities for supper, stood a charred remainder of what had once been a farmhouse. Spindly wooden beams, blackened with ash and soot, extended upward to where a rooftop formerly resided; and each gust of wind never failed to produce a forlorn creaking from the home's skeleton. The trees surrounding the back of the house were similarly marked with blackness; though they seemed to have been more resilient…but it was obvious that the fire had been started from within the home…which could only mean one thing.

Someone, or some_thing_ had set the place ablaze.

Fighting the desire to speak to Gandalf immediately about the uneasiness the charred remains gave her; Vanya returned her attention to Chretienne, rubbing him down lightly with her hands as she whispered to him in Elvish. Thorin already disapproved of her presence on this journey…of her closeness with the younger members of his company. And it wouldn't do to aggravate him further by disputing his choice in camp site. That, and she was unsure whether she could remain civil to him after the way he had rebuked her for simply offering him sustenance the previous evening.

Before she could spend too much more time ruminating on her indecision regarding the significance of the burned out home, however; Vanya found herself distracted by the sound of raised voices coming from further away in the clearing. Gandalf and Thorin had been discussing the next leg of their journey, she knew…and that discussion must have taken a sour turn; if the way Gandalf was storming away from the dwarf lord was any indication.

Hurrying over to join Bilbo at Myrtle's side, as that seemed to be the direction in which the wizard was heading; Vanya just barely reached the hobbit in time to hear him inquire:

"Where are you going?"

Gandalf's expression was stormy as he looked down at Bilbo; his eyes softening a bit as he realized it was the hobbit who addressed him and not another dwarf.

"I am going to seek the company of the only one around here who has any sense" He answered, shaking his head in utter disgust as he made to leave the camp; only to be halted once again as Bilbo asked:

"And who's that?"

"Myself, Master Baggins" He replied; sparing the hobbit one final nod before moving off, away from their camp. Taking note of how anxious Bilbo appeared, now that one of the only individuals who wanted him here had gone; Vanya reached down to squeeze the halfling's shoulder before straightening, her eyes narrowed as she began stepping around dwarves to reach the edge of the camp. All thought of keeping her mouth shut and allowing Thorin to operate as he chose fell to the wayside as she approached him; not even caring that she was likely out of line for considering going against him. Regardless of whether her actions were justified or not, she felt that she couldn't stand by and see Gandalf mistreated, after all he had done for them; and she was just about to say something to that matter when Thorin turned around to face her.

"So the wizard sends you to plead his case?" He growled, a look of sheer disgust etched in his features as he turned away "I am not surprised."

"Gandalf sent me to do nothing" She replied, her tone curt as she moved to stand before him "I am here of my own volition."

"And what gives you the right to question my judgment, elf?" He asked, anger evident in his eyes "Last I looked, you stood to gain nothing from this quest. It was not you that lost your home to the cowardice of supposed friends."

"I gained the right to question your judgment when you sent away the one person that could guide us; and ensure we did not suffer unnecessary delay" Vanya hissed, reaching out to grab Thorin's arm as he moved to stride away from her "You know Gandalf is more familiar with this terrain than any of us. I would have thought that, given your haste; you would not want to lose such an advantage."

"And were you half as intelligent as you act, you would know that he left of his own free will" Thorin countered, his voice tight as he wrenched his arm from her grasp "But then why would I expect an elf to admit their own shortcomings?"

"Oh, and I suppose dwarves are easily inclined to admit theirs?" Vanya exclaimed; unable to prevent herself from attempting to best the dwarf prince's insult with one of her own. Casting her eyes downward so that he could not see the tears of anger and frustration in her eyes, she laced her tone with as much venom as she could manage as she said "You know nothing of my people."

"I know enough" He hissed, his voice low as he took a step closer to her before finishing "My nephews may be blinded to your inherent deceit; elf. They are young…inexperienced. Do not be so bold as to think I will fall for your charms as they have."

He spared her one last glare before he brushed past her to join Dwalin where the dwarf was setting up the circle of rocks for their fire; leaving Vanya to stand alone at the edge of the grouping of dwarves for a moment, before turning on her heel and making for the location where she knew she would find the ponies, and Chretienne. Thorin's harsh words had affected her, despite her efforts to prevent them from doing so…and she desired nothing else in that moment than to find her horse and have some time alone.

As she wound deeper into the forest towards where the animals were picketed, however; it became increasingly clear to her that she would not be alone, as she so desired. Fili and Kili's voices rang out to her from just up ahead; and she bit back a groan as she stepped into the clearing where the brothers were joking, forcing a smile as Fili turned to address her.

"Did Uncle send you to keep us out of trouble then, Vanya?" He asked, laughter in his voice as he shoved Kili over so that the elf could take a seat between them "It seems he can't even trust us to take care of some pack animals, brother."

Vanya was just about to reply in an attempt to mask her sour disposition as a result of her dispute with their uncle; but something about the ring in which the animals were residing drew her attention. Squinting, she took a closer look…and that was when she realized what had caught her eye.

Two of the ponies were missing.

"Vanya? What is it?" Kili asked her then; standing up beside her and waving his hand in front of her eyes as she stared, transfixed, at the ponies "Are you alright?"

Barely noticing Bilbo stumbling in upon them with bowls of stew; Vanya took a step towards the makeshift pen, her face going pale as she replied:

"It seems you are not as capable of looking after them as you think."

Raising an eyebrow at her, Fili stood as well; throwing his brother a confused look as he said "Begging your pardon?"

"Two of the ponies are missing" She said, her voice hollow as she began trying to think of where they could have gotten to…of how they could have escaped. Assuming the brothers had been paying attention…which, knowing them, they hadn't…this should never have happened. But no matter how many times she blinked; nothing could take away the fact that two of their mounts were no longer present with the others.

"What?" Fili and Kili asked simultaneously; voices rising with their surprise. The two brothers cast a wary glance at Vanya before turning to inspect the place where the animals were picketed more closely; a groan arising from one of them…Vanya couldn't tell which…as they turned back to face elf and hobbit.

"Should…should we tell the others?" Fili asked, trepidation evident in his voice as he looked from his brother, to Vanya, and back to Kili again.

"No…no, we should try and take care of this ourselves" Vanya replied, ignoring Kili's look of astonishment as she moved over to the remaining mounts; eyes scanning the ground in search of tracks that might indicate where the two missing ponies had wandered. Finding nothing that caught her attention immediately; she quickly clambered over the rock that functioned in part to keep the animals within their makeshift pen, her gaze fixed on the earth as she crept silently past the remaining mounts. Ignoring Chretienne's curious whicker as she passed him, Vanya soon reached the opposite edge of the pen; only faintly aware of the presence of Bilbo, Kili, and Fili behind her as she moved.

"What's that?" Bilbo exclaimed suddenly; causing Vanya to jump as the hobbit appeared at her elbow. He pointed to something a bit further ahead of them…something that Vanya hadn't noticed before; having riveted her attention to the ground before them. A tree had been upended a few meters ahead; its great roots poised in the air like claws. A bit further off, still more trees had suffered the same fate…and Vanya darted over to the first tree in their path; a gasp escaping her as she saw the monstrous footprints that curved around from beside her, looping around the tree in question and heading straight for the remainder of the uprooted wildlife. She knew of only one creature that could create such destruction…

_Trolls._

Before she ever got the chance to turn and warn her companions regarding what had likely happened to their ponies; a great crashing rumbled through the forest from behind where they stood, causing her to instinctively yank Bilbo with her behind the tree that rested on its side as Fili and Kili darted over to follow her. As Kili finally situated himself such that he would not be visible from the forest path, the cause of the commotion strode into their line of vision; an inaudible gasp evident on Bilbo's face as the four of them watched the giant troll stomp past their hiding spot. The creature was _huge_…massive in size and girth; a dirty loincloth its only form of clothing. The earth practically shook as he strode past them; and that was when they saw what the troll carried in his trunk-sized arms.

Two more of their ponies.

"That'll be Myrtle and Mindy" Bilbo squeaked from beside Vanya; the determined look in his eyes belying his anxiety "We must do something."

"Well you're the burglar" Kili said, his voice a low whisper as his eyes remained fixed on the retreating back of the troll "Go and…burgle them back."

"Oh…oh no, I…I couldn't!" Bilbo protested, eyes wide with fright as he realized that, for once, Kili was not joking "I couldn't possibly…my goodness, the idea is just preposterous."

"Hobbits can pass unseen by most, can they not?" Fili cut in, echoing the words of Gandalf as he took his brother's side "Time to prove you're worth your salt, Master Baggins."

"And we will be right behind you" Kili added, noting Bilbo's faint expression; and Vanya's look of utter shock. Grabbing the long forgotten bowls of stew from the hobbit's stunned hands; the dark-haired dwarf nodded encouragingly at the hobbit, before he spoke again.

"If you run into trouble, just hoot twice like a barn owl; and once like a brown owl."

Bilbo threw them all one last, pleading look before he turned from them and began creeping after the troll that had so startled them; his shoulders hunched as he tried to remain close to the ground. After throwing the brothers a withering look, Vanya moved to follow; easily catching up to the young hobbit as he came to a halt just outside of a clearing where they could clearly hear the trolls in conversation. Placing a hand on his shoulder to alert him to her presence, she tried to force as much confidence into her voice as possible before she spoke.

"I have a plan."

She just hoped it would work.

…

**Hola! And welcome to another chapter! As you can see I went into a bit more detail regarding the journey up to this point. Namely, I did that in an attempt to permit us the chance to get to know our gang a bit better. It's always kinda been in the back of my mind that the dwarves as a whole would be awesome with more character development…so hopefully my attempts in that direction aren't awful.**

**Anyway, what are your thoughts? What worked for you? What didn't? Any and all opinions are welcome, as always!**

**A big thank you to all of my reviewers/followers! I love you guys for all of the support!**

**Until next time…**

**~MJR~**


	7. Playing for Time

"I'm all ears" The hobbit replied, his voice slightly shaky despite the determined look on his face. Of course, as a relatively quiet and peace-loving creature, Bilbo had never once encountered a situation such as the one in which he now found himself. But experience or not, he was determined to reclaim the ponies that had been stolen by the trolls. He had become rather fond of Myrtle, after all. And he wasn't about to let it be his inaction that brought the company hardship.

"You need to set the ponies free" Vanya began, inclining her head in the direction of the makeshift corral as she drew out a tiny dagger that had been concealed in her left boot "I'll think of a way to distract the trolls."

"Isn't sneaking into the camp something that you'd be better off doing?" Bilbo asked, taking the weapon from the elf's outstretched hand as he fought back apprehension over his ability to remain unseen. True, hobbits could remain invisible to some. But he was nervous…extraordinarily so. And when he was nervous, he made mistakes.

Shaking her head, Vanya closed her hand around Bilbo's; forcing a smile as she replied:

"The person who distracts them may have to fight them, Bilbo. Now if you think you're up to that…"

"No, no this is perfectly suitable" Bilbo interrupted, his face paling slightly at the thought of fighting the three huge creatures in the clearing just ahead. Even the most fool-hardy of his Took relations would not be so bold as to go up against one troll; let alone three. And he was not about to either. At least, not willingly.

"I thought as much" Vanya said, giving Bilbo's shoulder one last squeeze before standing silently and preparing to move off to the side of the troll camp "Set them free and get back to the camp. I'll take care of the rest; got it?"

Before Bilbo could reply, Vanya moved off into the trees; crouching low to the ground as she came closer to the scraggly shrubs lining the little clearing. The stench of the trolls assaulted her then; and she found herself fighting the urge to gag as she peered through a crack in the branches of the shrub before her. Searching the clearing for Bilbo's small form, she just barely managed to locate him before one of the trolls spoke up; causing her to jump in shock.

"Mutton yesterday…mutton today…and blimey, if it don't look like it'll be mutton again tomorrow" He said, the disappointment in his tone quite evident as his comrade who was carrying Myrtle and Mindy cut in.

"Quit your griping. These ain't sheep. These is West Nags."

A dejected groan rose from a third troll that was seated directly in front of the pot over the fire…where Vanya could only suppose the horses were about to go…and she sidled over to the nearest tree that conveniently dipped down over the clearing; slowly climbing its trunk as she heard him speak.

"I don't like horse…I never have" He said, jerking his head back in the direction of the ponies as he went on "Not enough fat on 'em."

"Well it's better than that leathery ole farmer. Nothin' but skin and bone, he was. I'm still pickin' bits o' him out of me teeth."

Ignoring the way her stomach churned at the thought of the poor farmer who had inhabited the burned shell of a house near the dwarves' camp meeting his demise; Vanya paused in the act of climbing as she noticed a large gap between where she currently rested, and the branch she needed to get to in order to have a better vantage point. Of course it would be a relatively simple jump in normal circumstances. But could she do it without attracting the attention of the creatures below, before Bilbo had the chance to make his way over to the ponies?

Just as she was about to begin formulating an alternative plan, however; a loud intake of breath from the troll who had been complaining about eating horse reached her ears. Seizing her opportunity, she stood slightly on the branch she currently occupied; leaping across the gap and landing on the branch that hung directly over the clearing just as the troll let out a loud sneeze. Letting the breath that she hadn't realized she was holding out in a soft rush, Vanya paused while the branch slowly ceased its movements caused by the impact of her jump; before slowly beginning to edge along its length towards the clearing.

"Oh that's lovely that is" One of the trolls spoke up, gesturing with a spoon over the pot "A floater."

"Might improve the flavor" The troll next to him quipped, causing his partner to beam with pride as he replied:

"Oh, well there's more where that came from!"

As the troll who had sneezed prepared to do so again; Vanya shifted her attention to scanning the clearing for where Bilbo had gotten to, rolling her eyes in exasperation as she registered the trolls beginning to argue about the extra benefits of nose drippings in their cooking. After a nervous moment of searching, she managed to locate the hobbit edging ever so slowly towards the corral; and she caught his eye as the horses began to nicker and whinny. Bringing her finger up to her lips, she silently prayed for them to keep quiet…something that Bilbo was already working on, as he tried to find the weakest portion of the rope that had been set up to keep the ponies in one place. She just barely made out the glint of her dagger in the fire light as Bilbo prepared to begin cutting the ponies loose…but the hobbit was forced to duck back behind the corral as one of the trolls turned his attention in that direction.

"I know you're going to gut these nags" He said, eyeing the foremost of the ponies hungrily as he continued "But I like the stinky parts." Before he could make a move for the pony in question, however, the leader of the gathering smashed him upside the head with the metal spoon; wringing cries of pain from the hungry troll.

"I said sit down!"

It didn't take long for the trolls to begin arguing amongst themselves again; this time about when they were actually going to eat the horses…and Vanya prepared to put her plan for distraction into play as she saw Bilbo once again trying to make a go at freeing their mounts. It was becoming more and more obvious that the ponies were getting anxious…and Vanya caught Bilbo silently shh-ing them as he crept along the perimeter of their troll-made prison; seemingly with a new goal in mind. He had stuffed Vanya's dagger in the back of his pants, and was now heading for a large blade currently attached to the back of the sneezy troll's loin cloth.

"Bilbo, no" She hissed, although the likelihood of him hearing her above the ruckus created by the bickering trolls was slim to none. It seemed that Bilbo was getting bolder, now that he was actually in the middle of the action…but that didn't stop Vanya's breath from catching in her throat as one of the trolls made mention of needing to season the brew in the pot with squirrel dung as he simultaneously ghosted his hand just over the spot where the hobbit was now crouched low to the ground.

Bilbo, it turned out, was lucky…moments after the huge hand of the troll waved over his location, it landed instead on the handle of a bowl of something particularly nasty looking, at least from Vanya's vantage point…and that served to create still more chaos amongst the horse-stealers as the leader bellowed:

"Oi! That's my grog!"

Once again, the sneezy troll was shoved back to the ground; allowing Bilbo to resume his journey towards the blade he desired. As the hobbit did so, Vanya slowly drew her sword out of its sheath as she poised herself in the boughs of the tree; ready to jump down into the clearing at the first sign of trouble. Her eyes remained fixed upon Bilbo as she watched him begin to grab at the blade attached to the troll's garment…only to see the hobbit once again crouching flat to the ground as a hand reached back to scratch at the troll's backside.

Elf and hobbit shared a disgusted look for a moment, before it was back to business…that is, until the troll who had just scratched himself reached back once again; this time nabbing a shocked hobbit who had not had enough time to duck out of the way.

Much to his chagrin, Bilbo found himself hoisted into the air; only briefly getting a glimpse of the troll's gigantic face before he was covered in a barrage of slime as the troll sneezed once again. It took a moment for the troll holding him to fully comprehend what was resting in his hand besides his ratty handkerchief…and he let out a yelp of surprise as he lofted Bilbo towards the other trolls as he cried:

"Blimey! Bert…Bert! Look what's come out of me hooter! It's got arms, and legs, and everything!"

As the troll…Bert, apparently…inquired as to what this mysterious thing in his friend's hand was, Vanya seized the opportunity presented by the trolls' distraction to jump down from the tree; rolling on the ground before standing up and heading over to the nearest pair of legs she could find. Pausing a moment as the troll holding Bilbo mentioned his apprehension about how the hobbit wriggled around; Vanya took a deep breath before slashing at the back of the troll's knee with her sword, forcing him to drop Bilbo to the ground with a yelp.

Darting around to stand in front of Bilbo just as he was hoisting himself up from the ground; Vanya planted herself firmly between the hobbit and the approaching trolls, holding her weapon out towards them as they advanced.

"Well well well" Bert snickered, gesturing to Vanya as he went on "Looks like Bert's nose drippings has a friend."

"And a feisty little thing, at that" One of the other trolls supplied. Vanya couldn't tell which one…she was too busy attempting to find a way to back Bilbo out of the clearing so he could make a run for it.

"What do ya suppose they are?" Bert interjected, a toothy smile creeping up on his face as he reached out a finger to nudge at Vanya's sword. To him, it couldn't have looked like much more than a toy; and the elf took another step back then, before the troll who had been mostly silent despite the bickering of his comrades spoke up.

"The pretty one's an elf, sure enough" He said, licking his lips as he edged closer to Vanya "They make a right nice meal; they does. But I've never seen the likes of the little one before."

"Well what are you, then?" Bert asked over Vanya's head, brandishing a broken fragment of a log at the duo "An over-sized squirrel?"

"I'm a…a burglar" Bilbo squeaked, grunting as Vanya's elbow connected with his stomach before amending "A…a hobbit."

"A burglar-obbit?"

"Can we cook 'im with the elf?" Bert asked, slowly beginning to approach Vanya and Bilbo with a gleam in his eye.

"We can try."

Chaos ensued then, with Vanya shoving Bilbo off to the side and away from the vicinity of the trolls; before moving to dart of after him. The hobbit only made it so far, however, before one of the trolls used the spoon to stop him in his tracks; shoving him, and consequently Vanya as well, back into the center of the clearing as he said:

"They wouldn't make more 'an a mouthful. Not when they're skinned and boned."

"P'raps there's more burglar-obbits round these parts" Bert sneered, brandishing his make-shift branch weapon at the elf and hobbit and forcing them back towards the troll with the spoon as he finished "More than enough for a bite."

Ducking to prevent being brained by the large spoon coming their way, Vanya and Bilbo ran for the space underneath the nearest troll's legs; barely paying heed to where exactly they were going as they tried to get outside the ring the trolls had made around them. A hand snaked out towards them as they fled; but Vanya quickly shoved Bilbo through the legs of the troll just above them, just as Bert cried out.

"Get them!"

"I can't…they're too quick!"

It continued on in this manner, with elf and hobbit doing their best to weave in and out of the little clearing; serving to confuse and infuriate their pursuers, until one of them…Bert…succeeded in nabbing Bilbo. As the hobbit was hoisted into the air once again, Vanya made a dash at Bert's legs; almost making it there in time to slash at them before she found herself batted aside, and flying through the air until her back thumped into the trunk of a tree.

Blinking back against the stars that had erupted in her vision as she attempted to catch her breath; Vanya made the first move to dart back into the ring of trolls, a yelp of surprise and pain escaping as a meaty hand curled itself around her torso and lifted her up into the air. The sneezy troll had a hold of her now; and she fought against the urge to struggle and show her fear as she heard Bert addressing Bilbo.

"Are there any more of you little fellers hiding where you shouldn't?"

"No" Bilbo replied, twisting his head this way and that until he finally caught site of Vanya being held aloft by the troll beside him. It was clear that he was afraid…but there was nothing Vanya could do to reassure him as she felt her midsection being squeezed tightly by her captor's hand as he said:

"E's lying…"

"No I'm not!" Was Bilbo's all too hasty protest as he struggled slightly against Bert's tight grip; his fear rising exponentially as it became clear that his denial had just revealed his deception.

"Hold 'is toes over the fire! Make him squeal!"

At the immediate threat to the hobbit, Vanya began to struggle against the grip of her captor, letting out a yelp as his hand tightened once again around her middle. A faint popping sounded throughout the clearing; once again causing her to gasp in pain before several things happened at the same time.

A rustling came from their left…loud cracks indicating that someone, or something was approaching. Before anyone, trolls included, had a chance to react however; the troll that had been holding Vanya let out a shriek, dropping the elf as he began hopping around and crying in pain. Hitting the ground with a thud that knocked the breath out of her, Vanya tried to turn as best she could to ascertain the cause of her fall…only to register Kili quickly stepping in front of her; and brandishing his sword as he said:

"Drop him."

"You what?" Bert asked, surprise at the appearance of yet another potentially tasty mouthful etched on his features as he regarded the dwarf before him.

"I said…drop him" Kili replied, his tone holding enough venom to render Vanya in shock as she watched Thorin's youngest nephew crouch down as he prepared to engage the trolls in a fight. She barely registered the monsters giving each other a conspiratory glance; before Bilbo was thrown in Kili's direction, giving Vanya only a minimal amount of time to recover and roll out of the way before Kili and the hobbit fell to the ground at the same time as Thorin led the rest of the dwarves into the clearing with weapons held high.

Cries of pain and rage echoed through the clearing as the trolls quickly found their lower limbs to be perfect hacking material for the dwarves' axes and blades…and Vanya shook her head quickly to rid her ears of the ringing that had been brought about by her sudden collision with the ground; before finding herself being hoisted up into a standing position by none other than Kili. A faint grimace flitted across her face as the sudden change in posture caused her midsection to cry out in protest; but she soon shoved that aside as she backed away from the dark haired dwarf, and turned to Bilbo.

"Take care of the ponies."

Before the stunned hobbit, or Kili for that matter, had any chance to reply; she darted off into the melee, stooping down to grab her sword from the spot where it had dropped to the ground when she had been hoisted into the air. Scanning the clearing for anyone that appeared to be in immediate distress; her eyes landed upon Ori, who was rapidly backpedaling away from Bert and brandishing his slingshot. She only barely noticed Thorin heading to Ori's aid as well as she sped past him; focusing instead on the wide arc she drew with her sword before it slashed into the offending troll's wrist. The blow forced him to stop his advance against the younger dwarf; instead latching onto the new cut as he cried out in pain. It wasn't long before he was turning to move towards Vanya, however; and he began picking up speed as he lunged out to grasp the elf. His cry of victory soon turned into a scream of frustration as he found his hand empty…his prey had managed to duck and roll underneath his legs to come to a rest behind him. Instead of turning around to see where she had gone, however; the troll's eyes latched onto Thorin as the dwarf stood before him. Thinking that he was the cause of his newly acquired injury, the troll raised a hand in preparation to strike…but the blow never fell.

Noticing that the troll's attention had been diverted by Thorin's presence in front of him, Vanya shoved herself off of the ground; simultaneously drawing the small knife her brother had given her just before her departure from its place at her side. Darting forward without a second thought, she stabbed the troll in the crease at the back of its knee; her knife sticking in the tough flesh as she was forced to let go and duck in order to miss the hand that had instinctively flung itself out to bat at the new source of pain. Her attempt at diverting the troll's attention from the dwarf king had worked though…and Vanya began backing towards the center of the clearing as the troll stalked her; her sword extended in front of her as she contemplated her next move.

A quick glance around the clearing showed all the dwarves in various states of twos and threes as they converged on the other two trolls; each grouping seeming to have a fairly good handle on the enemy as they darted in between stamping feet. Her concern for them abated a bit as she realized they were more than capable of fending for themselves…the downside of that, being that they were all too occupied to help her as she found herself continuously forced backwards by the troll she had stabbed. In an effort to confuse the creature, she prepared to dive to the side at the last second; only to find herself tackled to the ground by Fili. Just as she was about to protest at the dwarf's actions, however; she realized the motive behind them…Dwalin had joined in the fight with troll she had just attempted to escape, and his huge mace swung through the air at the place where Vanya had just been standing before connecting with the confused creature's kneecap. This, combined with a swift jab in the rear by Dori and a sizeable gash in his side provided by Thorin served to bring the giant to his knees; where Dwalin added more damage by smashing his mace into the side of the troll's skull.

Ducking down to avoid the flying teeth that issued from the troll's mouth, Vanya looked around the clearing in search of Bilbo then; a surprised laugh escaping as she saw him tossing the rope that had been holding the ponies in their corral aside as the creatures cantered off into the forest. The two of them shared a brief nod of acknowledgment before the sound of crashing grabbed their attention as Bert began running towards the stunned hobbit.

"Bilbo look out!" Vanya cried, watching in horror as Bert hefted the hobbit into the air, and held him out to his sneezy friend so that he too could grab hold. Instinct drove her to dart forward to the hobbit's defense…she could hear Kili doing the same behind her…but before she could reach him, she felt a hand tangling in the back of her tunic; dragging her backwards, until both she and Kili were shoved behind Thorin as the dwarf king looked up at the hobbit, clearly trying to think of a way out of this.

"Lay down your arms" Bert ordered, then, stretching Bilbo out between himself and his companion for good measure "Or we'll rip his off."

Thorin offered the briefest moment of hesitation as he considered his options…a fact that had Vanya quite ready to smack him until he cast a dark glare towards the trolls holding his burglar captive; and threw down his sword. The others followed suit shortly thereafter…and they were all forced to watch with chagrin as, one by one, they were tied up in sacks; or attached to a large spit over the fire. None of them dared move, for fear of persuading Bert to commence with ripping poor Bilbo to shreds; until at last, only Vanya remained free.

"What'll we do wit' this one then; Bert?" the troll responsible for tying all the dwarves into their bonds asked, nudging Vanya in the stomach with a fat finger "I've never 'ad elf before."

His question was met by shrugs from Bert and his other comrade…and judging that she had nothing left to lose; Vanya spoke up, her voice shaking a bit.

"Well…well, I've heard that…in less _civilized_ societies…they…they serve elves up as a sort of appetizer" She said, stepping forward into the light of the fire before going on "I…I guess that sort of…cleanses the palate before you, you know…indulge in a more grisly entrée."

"Grisly entrée, she says" Bert interjected; leaning down to peer at the elf with narrowed eyes "You sayin' these dwarves is grisly?"

A riot of protests assaulted Vanya's ears as the dwarves responded to her seeming insult, and she found herself rolling her eyes in exasperation as she shrugged her shoulders before meeting Bert's gaze.

"From personal experience, yes. I've never yet tasted a dwarf that was anything more than hardened muscle. It's quite disgusting."

"Nothin' a bit o' sage won't fix, I'd wager" Sneezy said then, making a great show of pretending to sprinkle seasoning over the dwarves attached to the spit "I reckon that'd make 'em mighty tasty."

"Never mind the seasoning" Bert argued, licking his lips hungrily before turning his attention back to Vanya "We ain't got all night. Let's get a move on. I don't fancy being turned to stone."

"Then we start with the appetizer."

Eyes widening, Vanya prepared to dodge Bert's outstretched hand; but was saved at the last second by Bilbo's cry.

"Wait!"

Each of the three trolls turned his attention to the hobbit then, confusion evident as they listened to him speak again.

"You are making…a terrible mistake."

"You can't reason with 'em; they're half-wits" Dori called from the spinning rod above the fire; a fact that didn't deter the hobbit as he got up from his position on the ground beside Balin and hopped in his sack towards where Vanya stood.

"I meant with the uh…with the seasoning" Bilbo continued, causing Vanya to send him a confused look before he clarified "I mean, have you smelt them? You're going to need something stronger than sage to plate this lot up."

"And what do you know about cooking dwarf?" Bert asked, eyeing the hobbit skeptically from his place turning the spit. Before his apprehension could have much influence over the other trolls, however, the one closest to Bilbo and Vanya spoke up, saying:

"Shut up. Let the uh…flurglarburblar-hobbit talk."

Sending the troll a look that was as close to gratitude as he could muster, Bilbo cleared his throat; his face taking on an expression that rivaled that of someone who had been saddled with teaching dimwits the art of breathing as he went on.

"The secret to cooking dwarf is to…skin them first!"

Vanya nearly choked on the breath she had been taking as Bilbo's advice registered in her mind…and loud outcries of protest rang throughout the clearing as the dwarves caught on too. The group that had been placed in sacks on the ground were wriggling about madly; their attempts to get free only intensifying as the troll before them said:

"Tom…get me filletin' knife."

Before Tom could do as he was told, however, Bert shook his head in disbelief as he said "What a load of rubbish. I've eaten better with their skins on. Stuff 'em I say, boots and all."

"He's right" Sneezy drawled, lumbering over to the pile of dwarves on the ground and grabbing Bombur by the ankle "Nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf!"

"You don't want to be doing that!" Vanya called out; stepping over towards the troll in question before clarifying "Hasn't…hasn't anyone told you not to…not to eat dessert before your meal?"

"Oooh she's right" Bert said, continuing to turn the dwarves on the spit as he added "Me muther always told me it'd ruin me supper, she did."

"And what makes you so sure this one's dessert?" The troll holding Bombur aloft asked, dangling the large dwarf over his mouth as he awaited his answer.

"Well c'mon now, look at him" Vanya replied, hoping that Bombur would take what she said next as a means of saving his life, and not as means of offense "He's more like a plate of jelly than a meaty mouthful."

"I don't think so" The dwarf's captor replied, waving a hand at the elf in dismissal before saying "He looks nice and crunchy."

"N-no not that one" Bilbo interrupted, just as the troll was about to devour Bombur whole "He…he's infected!"

"He what?" Bert asked, clearly tiring of the delay in eating his meal.

"Yeah, he's got worms in his…in his tubes" Bilbo explained, throwing a quick, sidelong glance in Vanya's direction as the two of them watched Bombur get dropped back to the ground "In fact…they all have. They're infested with parasites. It's a terrible business…I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't."

Nodding vigorously in agreement; Vanya tried her best to resist the urge to laugh as the dwarves behind them once again erupted in protest. Clearly none of them had caught onto what she and Bilbo were attempting to do…that is, until Thorin delivered a sharp kick into Kili's back; bringing the group to silence.

A brief pause ensued, during which one could have heard a pine needle hitting the ground; before the dwarves once again began making a commotion. This time, however, it was to confirm Bilbo's accusation.

"I've got parasites as big as my arm!"

"Mine are the biggest parasites, I've got HUGE parasites."

These claims, and others rang out in the troll camp; and it was only when Bert stepped away from the fire and approached Bilbo that the group fell silent once again as he said:

"What would you have us do then? Let 'em all go?"

Bilbo's shrug and non-committal nod seemed to offer the troll all the proof he needed; because before the hobbit could react, he was being shoved backwards as Bert spoke up once again.

"You think I don't know what you're up to? This little ferret! He's taking us for fools!"

"Ferret!" Bilbo protested, clearly affronted at being called such a thing. Before anything further could happen, however; a familiar voice rang out across the clearing.

Gandalf had arrived.

"The dawn take you all!" He cried, before slamming his staff down upon the rock on which he stood. A large crack formed in the bolder's center; and as the wizard stepped aside, sunlight streamed into the clearing. What happened next was something the likes of which not a soul in that clearing had ever seen…and each one of them stared in awe as the trolls slowly transformed into great stone statues right before their eyes; their faces contorted into expressions of pure pain as they slowly froze to the spot.

Risking a glance at the hobbit, Vanya noticed how his eyes had widened at what had just occurred…and she hastily helped him out of his sack as Gandalf descended down to the clearing; placing a steady hand upon her shoulder before moving on to assist the others. Between elf, wizard, and hobbit; they had the other dwarves free in no time, cries of victory rising from the company as Bifur, the last dwarf that remained bound, was freed.

The dwarf soon made his way over to where Vanya stood next to Bilbo; eyeing the elf with some trepidation at first, before making a series of hand gestures as he spoke in what could have only been Khuzdul. The guttural sound of the language made it nearly impossible to determine the emotion behind the words…and Vanya threw a glance at Bilbo, confusion evident on her face before Bofur approached them from behind and clarified.

"He's saying thank you."

Jumping as she turned around to face the dwarf who had just placed his hand against her back, Vanya replied:

"For…for what?"

"For savin' our Bombur, of course" Bofur said, sparing the hobbit beside her a nod and a smile "It won't be forgotten that you've done such a thing. We owe a debt to the both of you" He finished before clapping Bifur on the shoulder and walking with him towards where Bombur remained, chatting with Nori. For their part, both Vanya and Bilbo remained rooted to the spot in shock at the open gratitude that had just been shown…that is, until Gandalf's voice rang out; directing them towards what Thorin suspected to be a troll cave.

Falling in behind the rest of the company as they began moving away from the clearing; elf and hobbit walked on in silence, both of them thinking about the events that had just happened. Thinking that it could have gone much worse…

And thinking that perhaps they weren't as walled off from the dwarves as they had previously suspected.

…

**Well well well…good afternoon again! I breezed through this chapter, and really didn't find much else to change. So I figured why not? What would be wrong with posting? I guess I'm in a hurry because I'm going to be seeing DOS this weekend (screams intensify)…and lord knows I'll be desperate to get Vanya to Mirkwood at that point.**

**As always, I thank each and every one of you for reading and reviewing! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!**

**Up next: Wargs and Rivendell and Elves, oh my! **

**Until the next time…**

**~MJR~**


	8. Old Friends and Dark Tidings

Thorin and Gandalf led the company onward through the trees, the dwarf king's eagerness to get to the troll hoard palpable as he maneuvered around rock and branch towards his destination. As they moved, the trees began thinning out a bit…and soon the trail they took poured them out into a tiny clearing; the very thing they were searching for standing right in front of them. Nested in the middle of the rock face that was flanked on its top and sides by still more trees was a jagged opening; its contents a mystery due to the almost unnatural darkness inside. For their part, the dwarves wasted no time in entering the place; eager to see what it held for their pleasure, and Vanya wrinkled her nose in distaste as the scent of troll wafted towards them on the light breeze that was blowing through the forest, her gaze flicking down to the hobbit beside her as he spoke.

"What is that stench?" Bilbo asked, throwing a hand over his mouth and nose as he looked up at Vanya through squinted eyes "I've not smelled anything that foul since this lot first had a go at my plumbing."

Laughing in spite of the nausea that kept growing in the pit of her stomach; Vanya replied:

"It's a troll cave, dear Bilbo. You can hardly expect it to smell like potpourri."

"And why must we venture inside of it, again?" The hobbit asked, an eyebrow raised in incredulity as he watched the dwarves and Gandalf enter the cave as though its smell was not troublesome at all "Haven't we all had enough of troll?"

"Trolls hoard things" Vanya answered, reaching up to drag part of the hood of her cloak around so that it shielded her nose from the smell "Things that may help us along the way; if we're lucky."

Bilbo cast the opening of the cave one last, scathing look for good measure then, before he sidled over to a nearby tree root; taking a seat as he said "Well I think I'd be just as well staying out here. After all, someone should keep watch."

Smiling to herself, Vanya turned to face the sound of footsteps; her eyes widening as she saw Kili approaching with a quite sizable amount of gold coins inside a leather purse. It appeared that some of the dwarves were already reemerging from the cave, laden with various trinkets and treasures…and it was apparent now, that Thorin's suspicion had been true. The trolls did have gold hidden in their stash.

"Figured we might take this with us" The dark-haired dwarf said with a grin as he set the bag down on the ground by Bilbo's feet for safekeeping "Never know when we might happen by a tavern."

"Yes, because your uncle would be all for delaying his journey for a few drinks" Vanya jested, her smile turning to a wince as Kili playfully nudged her in the side. She had all but forgotten the faint pop she had felt while in the grasp of the troll; having been otherwise distracted by trying to secure the dwarves' freedom, and Gandalf's arrival…but as a sharp pain lanced through her abdomen, it was all she could do to keep from doubling over as she snapped a hand out to grab at the branch of the tree beside her.

"Vanya?" Kili asked, concern evident in his tone as he slowly approached her "What is it? Did I hurt you?"

"N-no" She replied, air leaving her lungs in a whoosh as she stooped to sit down; wincing yet again as another stab of pain hit her "It's just…just a sting, is all."

"I'll go get Gandalf" Bilbo said then, jumping up and preparing to move off in the direction of the wizard. From the look on the elf's face, he could tell that her pain was more troublesome than she meant to let on…and the hobbit hastily darted off in the direction of the cave, plugging his nose as he moved off before Vanya had chance to protest.

"I really wish he hadn't done that" Vanya said, leaning her back against the trunk of the tree and taking in the worried look that was etched on Kili's face "I'm sure I'll be alright once I rest a bit."

"Well we're not taking any chances" Kili replied, rolling his eyes at the exasperated look Vanya gave him before adding "If uncle would not stop for a tavern, I doubt he would stop for your injury."

The young dwarf threw Vanya a cheeky grin before turning his attention to the approaching hobbit and wizard; doing his best not to laugh at the utterly sour expression on the wizard's face as he approached. For his part, Bilbo had a positively smug look on his face at bringing in someone that would be no-nonsense when it came to Vanya's likely protests…and the elf merely sent him a brief glare that held no real venom behind it, before peering up at Gandalf as he knelt down beside her.

"Really, Gandalf, it's nothing I can't…" She began, trailing off as the wizard sent her a dark look before he interrupted.

"Nothing you cannot handle?" He quipped, his voice perhaps a bit harsher than he meant it to be as he gave the elf a pointed look. She peered up at him quizzically for a moment, and the wizard let loose a long suffering sigh as he gestured for her to lift the hem of her tunic so he could see her abdomen as he said:

"Forgive me, dear one, but I have had more than enough of stubbornness to last me a lifetime; so I may not tolerate yours as well as I should."

Biting the inside of her cheek as the wizard used his hands to gently feel her sides; Vanya forced a smile as she said "Is our dwarf king in rare form, as ever, then?"

"Oh but of course" Gandalf replied, shaking his head a bit before closing his eyes and allowing his hand come to rest over Vanya's ribcage "Be still now. Concentration requires silence."

Nodding in agreement, Vanya sent one last glance towards Kili, who's eyes were glued to her abdomen as though he expected the source of her pain to be evident on her skin; before closing her eyes and resting her head on the trunk of the tree behind her. The heat of the wizard's palm was somewhat soothing now as it pressed gently against her skin; and she found herself relaxing slightly as the pain she had felt began gradually ebbing away, to be replaced by a tingling warmth. A few soft words in a language she couldn't quite understand escaped Gandalf's mouth before she felt a sharp twinge in her midsection…and then, nothing. The pain was gone.

Opening her eyes and stretching experimentally, the elf looked up at the wizard as he stood from his position beside her on the ground; a tentative smile toying with the corners of her mouth as she heard him speak.

"Now isn't that better than trying to travel in this terrain with a nagging pain in your side?" He asked, one eyebrow arched as he watched Kili help her stand up once again "Come. There is something I think you should see."

Throwing Kili a look of thanks, Vanya made to follow Gandalf back into the mouth of the cave; taking a moment at the opening of the dark place to draw her cloak around her mouth and nose once again before venturing inside. She paused briefly upon entering, allowing her eyes to adjust to the sudden change in lighting; only to cast an inquiring look at the dwarves she now saw at her feet. Gloin, Nori, and Bofur were all gathered around a small chest; working on burying it in the dirt as she made to pass them, and Bofur looked up at her with a conspiratorial grin as Gloin clarified.

"We're makin' a long term deposit."

"I see" She replied, marveling at how the three dwarves could stomach the smell that seeped through the cave; as it was doing its best to make her sick. Before she could ponder much further on that, however; Gandalf was calling out to her once again, and she hurried to catch up to him as he came to a stop in a small off-shoot of the cave.

"What do you think of this?" He asked, gesturing to what appeared to be a small sword that was partially buried in the rubble and debris. Stepping forward and bending down to the ground, Vanya took the blade in hand; her fingers wrapping around the hilt to draw it out of its sheath. It couldn't have been intended as anything more than a dagger or hunting knife…but size notwithstanding; she couldn't help but marvel at its beauty. It was perfectly shaped; and still holding the luster of a blade that had just been forged within a day or two prior despite the conditions in which it had been found...and Vanya could not hold back the gasp that escaped her as her eyes drifted over the runes carved into the blade; her eyes flicking to Gandalf's as she said:

"This was made by the smiths of Gondolin, unless my eyes deceive me."

"They do not" Gandalf replied, smiling at the awe in the elf's eyes as she turned the blade in her hands; inspecting every inch of it with wonder "And I think I know of a perfect use for it; if you are agreeable."

Narrowing her eyes, Vanya gave the wizard a shrewd look; shaking her head at his knowing smirk before she answered "Always you seek to put me at odds with our leader."

"Only because you are so adept at it" Gandalf said, reaching out to squeeze gently at her shoulder before holding his hand out for the short sword "Will you do it?"

Vanya paused a moment then, deliberating over the task Gandalf had appointed to her. She knew that the dwarf king would not be likely to approve of it…first because she was an elf; which would almost certainly put her ability to accomplish such a thing in jeopardy, and second because of the potential delay it posed to their quest. But she also recognized that it was something that needed to be done…their recent encounter with the trolls serving as ample proof of the necessity of this task. And so she looked up at the wizard with a grin; her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief as she finally assented.

"Of course I will."

Nodding at her, Gandalf began the trek back out of the cave; Vanya following closely behind. It would be a lie to say that she was not eager to see the hobbit's reaction to the blade that was soon to be his…and it seemed that she wouldn't have long to wait; as Gandalf was making his way directly to where Bilbo was standing at the mouth of the cave.

"Bilbo" He said, jolting the hobbit out of what was apparently a very deep thought as he held out the sword "Here. This is about your size."

Bilbo took the blade then, glancing at it in shock for a moment; before flicking his eyes over to meet Vanya's as he said "I…I cannot take this."

"This blade is of Elvish make" Gandalf cut in, halting the hobbit's tentative protest before it could even begin as he went on "Which means it will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby."

"Something like this would be extraordinarily useful; especially in a quest like ours, Bilbo" Vanya added, doing her best to encourage the young Halfling; when it seemed, from his bearing, as though all he wanted to do was flee. She watched him closely as he began casting his gaze around the mouth of the cave…clearly wanting to be absolutely sure that no one else would hear their conversation…and she felt a twinge of pity course through her as Bilbo leaned forward towards the wizard and whispered:

"I have never used a sword in my life."

"And I hope you never have to" Gandalf replied, his hand reaching down to clasp Bilbo's shoulder as he went on "But if you do, remember this. True courage is about knowing not when to take a life…but when to spare one."

Gandalf stepped back from the hobbit then, all the while watching and gauging his reaction to his new weapon. Bilbo was nervous…that much was obvious. But Vanya thought she detected a flicker of determination taking root in his eyes as she moved forward to address him.

"You'll need training in its use of course" She said, the corner of her mouth drawing up in a smile at the look of trepidation Bilbo was sending her "A matter which I will have to take up with Thorin as soon as possible."

"And you're sure he'll be willing to tolerate such a…a delay?" Bilbo asked, once again looking around the immediate vicinity to ensure no one could hear them "I see no reason to give him more incentive to find me a burden."

"He will have to tolerate it" Vanya replied, uncharacteristic steel in her tone as she looked down at Bilbo's shocked expression "It would be more of a delay to have you injured due to lack of knowledge; than it would be to train you in self-defense." Before she could say anything further to encourage the hobbit, however; a call rang out from the dwarf in question.

"Someone is coming!"

Glancing upwards at the direction of the call; Gandalf raised his voice so that all in the company might hear as he climbed up the hill towards the main grouping of dwarves.

"Stay together. Arm yourselves, hurry!"

"Vanya…" Bilbo began, looking up at her as she drew her own sword.

"Keep close" She said then, cutting him off and leading him up the hill in the wizard's wake "I won't let anything happen to you."

As elf and hobbit drew near Thorin and the others, Vanya's eyes met those of the dwarf king for only the briefest of moments; a faint nod his only acknowledgment to her before they both turned their attention to the noise coming from deeper within the forest. Sounds of scampering feet came closer…twigs snapped in the distance. Whatever the thing that approached them was, it was evident that it was huge; and moving towards them at a rapid pace. All-told, it was a sound Vanya could not place no matter how much she tried; and she felt her heart all but jump into her chest as a familiar figure suddenly burst into the clearing within a manner of seconds, clad in brown and riding a contraption pulled by rabbits.

Recognition dawned on her then as she felt Bilbo jump belatedly beside her; and she couldn't help the jolt of apprehension she felt as she heard Gandalf address the interloper.

"Radagast. Radagast the Brown" He said, walking over to the man and clapping him on the shoulder in greeting "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, Gandalf" The other wizard replied, his expression grave as he cast his eyes around the gathering before him "Something's wrong. Something's…terribly wrong."

Arching an eyebrow, Gandalf began attempting to elicit more information from his fellow wizard, only to be cut short as Radagast caught sight of Vanya; his eyes widening as he spoke.

"_Iston i nîf gîn_…" He began, narrowing his eyes as he approached her; and clapping his hands together after a moment's pause as recognition dawned in his features "My dear child! It's been so long since I saw you last!" He exclaimed, walking over to where she stood and looking her over once before saying "_Mae govannen_."

"_Mae govannen _Radagast" Vanya replied, casting a wary glance at Gandalf as Radagast started in on another line of conversation.

"I had wondered why it had been so long since your last visit my child. Now I see. Tell me, how came you to be in the company of dwarves, _Aranel_? I should have thought you to still be at home under the watchful eye of your…" He began, only to be cut off by Gandalf clapping him on the shoulder once again and steering him away from Vanya and the others as he said:

"Come, Radagast; let us keep to one topic at a time. What is it you wish to see me for?"

As she watched Gandalf leading Radagast away, Vanya found herself letting out the breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding; her eyes closing for a moment as she sought to calm her racing heart rate. Trusting Gandalf to talk to his fellow wizard…to inform him that revealing her lineage at the current time would be folly…she allowed herself to relax slightly; before nearly jumping out of her skin as Bofur's voice came from beside her.

"What was that all about, lass?" He asked, inclining his head in the direction that the two wizards had walked in "Do you know who he is?"

"I…I do" Vanya stammered, shoving a strand of dark hair behind her ear as she met Bofur's gaze "He is…a very old friend."

"But who is this Aranel he mentioned?" Fili piped up as he approached her, one eyebrow arched in question "Is that another way of saying your name?"

Looking back and forth between Bofur and Fili, Vanya swallowed hard; trying to think of the best way to explain what the word meant without triggering a deeper inquiry as to her true identity. She was saved the trouble, however; as Gandalf's voice rang out as he called to her.

"Vanya! Come here, child."

Doing as she was told, Vanya sent the two dwarves before her an apologetic look before picking her way through the brush towards the two wizards; doing her best to ignore how Bofur and Fili kept staring at her as she moved away. She couldn't be sure if they suspected anything was amiss or not; but she fervently hoped that they would let it go, in favor of a safer topic of conversation before she returned to them.

"The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf" Radagast was saying as Vanya approached; his voice hushed as he gave her a nod of acknowledgement "A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows anymore…at least nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worse, are the webs."

"Webs" Gandalf interjected; his eyes locking with Vanya's as she sat down on a nearby rock, her face paling at the implication in the brown wizard's words. She knew of what he spoke…and it made her heart shudder in fear over what darkness had taken over the realm of her people as Gandalf spoke again.

"What do you mean?"

"Spiders, Gandalf" Radagast replied, leaning heavily on his staff as he continued "Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliand. Or I am not a wizard."

"Where did they come from?" Vanya asked, dragging a hand through her hair as she looked up at Radagast from where she was seated "I thought their kind was eradicated long ago."

"I found their trail, child" The brown wizard responded, his eyes taking on a look of understanding and pity for her concern "They came from the old fortress; Dol Goldur."

"But the old fortress is abandoned" Gandalf said then, tendrils of smoke curling up from his pipe as he turned to face them "How can this be?"

"Whispers of darkness have been coming to us from that fortress for some time, Gandalf" Vanya spoke up, shifting a bit on the rock before going on "That darkness was in part what spurred my father to attempt sending me away. He knew I had been training to fight…he knew I could hold my own. But in spite of that, I believe that he saw it as a means of getting at least one of his children out of the forest and to safety before the darkness could claim it for its own. Where he knew Legolas would never leave his home; he hoped that I could be swayed."

"But then why are you here, child? Why are you not safe in the West?" Radagast inquired, his attention for the moment shifted from the malady of the Greenwood as he awaited Vanya's reply.

"I would not leave my people in danger, Radagast. I refused to leave these shores."

"And so you are in the company of dwarves?" The old wizard asked incredulously, his mouth opening to ask yet another question just as Gandalf interrupted; directing the conversation back to its origin as he said:

"We can discuss her reasoning later; Radagast. Let us go back to the fortress. Tell us of what you saw there."

Focusing on the topic at hand once again, Radagast's eyes darkened as he began to tell of his journey to the old fortress to the south of Thranduil's kingdom; fear within their depths as his narration unfolded. As he went on, detailing what he had found…what he had seen…ice began to settle in the pit of Vanya's stomach. The rumors were true. The threat to her people was very real. Her father had seen it. He had tried to shield her from it. But the more she listened to what had befallen her home since her departure; the deeper the regret she felt that she had left in the first place. She should have stayed…she should be helping protect the forest she so loved at this very moment; instead of fleeing to where she was now, in the company of those who would as quickly shun her as they would an orc. Had she remained in the palace, perhaps in time her father would have bent to her wishes…perhaps he would have seen her side of things, and permitted her to stay. But she had persisted in defying him to the very end; a fact that now brought shards of bitter regret to slice through her like a knife as Radagast uttered the words she had once believed to belong only to nightmares.

"The Necromancer has come."

A hand flew instinctively to her throat then, and her eyes flicked to Gandalf; her desperation clear as the old wizard spoke up.

"The Necromancer. Are you sure?"

"Could it not be simply the work of a magician? Someone wishing to put fear in the hearts of the people for a joke?" Vanya asked, hope kindling itself in her mind despite the part of her that knew…knew in her heart that evil was upon them; now more than ever. Radagast shook his head slowly then, his eyes taking a saddened appearance at the downcast look the elf sent him as he reached into his cloak; and drew out a blade wrapped in cloth. Handing it to Gandalf, the brown wizard took a step back; gesturing for Vanya to stand and approach as he answered her as best he could.

"I had hoped so, _Aranel_; until I found this. Many other explanations came and went as to its origin. But I know for certain now…it is not from the world of the living, my child" He said, watching Vanya's face, while her eyes remained fixed on Gandalf as he carefully unwrapped the cloth and drew out the blade. A gasp escaped her as she took a wary step back; her eyes widening as she realized that Radagast was right. No living smith created this weapon. Just as no living man wielded it.

It was a Morgul blade. And that could only mean one thing.

Sauron had returned. He had taken up residence not far from her home. From her family. And she was unable to stop the panic that welled up within her then; only allowing her attention to be diverted as the sound of a howl pierced the air; causing everyone in the vicinity to whirl around in an attempt to locate the source of the sound. Casting Gandalf an apprehensive look that gave evidence to the fear she felt taking hold; Vanya hurried off to rejoin the rest of the company as they remained on alert, arriving next to Bilbo just as the hobbit asked:

"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?"

"Wolf? No, that is not a wolf" Bofur answered, stepping around the hobbit and looking up at the trees lining the clearing with apprehension etched into his features. A loud snap from behind them diverted their attention once again; and Vanya only barely had time to drag Bilbo out of the way, shoving him behind her as a warg crept over the edge of the hill they stood beneath, a snarl ripping from its throat as it leapt into the clearing.

The creature just missed Bofur as it crashed down amongst them; its weight causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble as it swung its head around in search of its first victim. Before it could make a move, however; Thorin jumped forward, slicing at the monster's throat and causing it to fall to the forest floor with a gurgle. The creature was not alone, however…a flicker of movement just behind the dwarf king being all it took to alert Vanya to more trouble ahead. Before she could fully consider what she was doing; her hand was at the dagger sheathed beside her sword, pulling the blade up to her shoulder and flinging it past Thorin's head just as Kili fired one of his arrows. Both weapons sunk deep into the beast's shoulder before Thorin had even had a chance to turn and face his attacker; his eyes instead drilling into Vanya while Dwalin finished attending to the warg with his axe.

"Warg scouts" Thorin hissed then; turning his attention from the elf before him as he ripped Kili's arrow from the creature's body "An orc pack is not far behind."

Watching the dwarf king carefully, Vanya stepped towards the fallen beast, stooping to remove her dagger from its body just as Gandalf approached and accosted their leader.

"Who did you tell of your quest, beyond your kin?" The wizard demanded; his eyes scanning everywhere even as he addressed Thorin with no lack of urgency in his tone "Who did you tell?"

"No one" Thorin replied, stepping around Vanya to approach the wizard; who was sending him a look as though he doubted his honesty "No one, I swear! What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted" Gandalf answered; his eyes scanning around the clearing as though waiting for more enemies to appear from the trees. For the first time in all the many years Vanya had known him; the wizard looked at a loss for what to do, and it was Dwalin that spoke up then, appearing at Vanya's side as he said:

"We have to get out of here. We cannot hope to defend elf and hobbit, walled in as we are."

"The elf can defend herself well enough" Vanya cut in; earning a dubious look from Thorin's closest friend as Ori and Bifur came crashing through the trees above them, putting a stop to Dwalin's imminent retort.

"We can't, we have no ponies" Ori cried; the truth of his words confirmed by a nod from Bifur "They've bolted."

"I'll draw them off" Radagast said then, drawing himself up to his full height as Gandalf turned and began to dissuade him.

"These are Gundabad Wargs. They will outrun you."

A mischievous glint formed in the brown wizard's eyes then; as he winked at the gathering before him and replied:

"These are Roscobel Rabbits. I'd like to see them try."

…

_Iston i nîf gîn—I know your face_

_Mae l'ovannen—well met_

_Aranel—princess _

**Goodness gracious everyone! I have returned from DOS! And…I am speechless. Literally, I cannot find the proper words to do that movie justice. And I find myself caught between a multitude of different avenues I can take this story in once we get to that timeline…needless to say, I've got my work cut out for me.**

**AND SMAUG…dear lord. That's all I can really say there.**

**At any rate, though, I do hope you enjoy this reworked chapter. I've adjusted some things so that they make more sense and seem more plausible. So hopefully that goes over well! Many thanks, as always for reading and reviewing! Much love!**

**MJR**


	9. Running from Fate

"Radagast, you cannot" Vanya exclaimed, catching at the cloth of the wizard's brown robe as he made to pass her "They outnumber you. It is too risky."

"Much must be risked, in times like these; dear one" Radagast replied, giving her hand a squeeze before moving on towards the contraption pulled by his rabbits "Be safe, _mellon nin_. _Na lû e-govaned vîn_."

Before she could form a reply, he was clambering aboard the makeshift sled; letting out a cry to spur the rabbits onward as they pulled him out of sight. A moment passed as the company remained silent; each of them staring at the path through the trees that Radagast had just disappeared through, before Gandalf spoke up and bade them to move.

"Come. We must make haste; else his efforts be in vain."

The wizard's words were enough to spur the company into action; and they soon fell into line behind him as he led them towards a separate path out of the forest. Falling into step behind Fili and Kili; Vanya followed the group through the trees, barely noticing the appearance of sunlight streaming through the thinning layers of leaves above them as her thoughts strayed to Radagast. She was well aware that he, like Gandalf, had numerous skills in evading and warding off the enemy. But that didn't stop her from worrying over his safety in this newest endeavor; a fact that was only intensified as a bone-chilling howl rent through the air.

"Are we sure we can outrun them?" Bilbo inquired from his place running beside her; causing the elf to jump as she returned to the present. Doing her best to look reassuring, for the hobbit's sake; Vanya offered a tight smile as the group finally cleared the trees and came out upon a wide plain as she said:

"We have to try."

The sound of yet another howl soon brought all thought of conversing to a halt, however; and the company increased the pace of their flight as they followed Gandalf across the uneven ground, a few of them stumbling as they went. The terrain was not an easy thing to traverse…brambles and ruts in the earth warranting more precaution than was ideal in the current situation…and even Vanya found it difficult to run at a consistent speed, despite the inherent ease her people had been blessed with when moving over great distances. Several times, the elf found herself forced to make last minute corrections to her steps to avoid a tumble to the ground; and her hand soon took up a permanent place on Bilbo's shoulder to steady him as the company continued onward, following Gandalf as he continued leading them to safety.

The wizard led them on a curving trail to the left, heading towards an outcropping of rock in the middle of the plain; all of them grinding to a halt just as they caught sight of at least half a dozen wargs running perpendicular to them with Radagast only slightly in the lead. The orcs astride some of the foul beasts were shouting taunts at the brown wizard as he continued to lead them away; but Vanya's attention was soon diverted away from her old friend as Gandalf called out:

"This way! Quick!"

He led them in the opposite direction, towards yet another grouping of stones, this one standing a bit higher off of the ground; its width and height just enough to cover the company from view. As they drew nearer, the pace of their running slowed accordingly; and Vanya soon found herself packed in between Bombur and Bilbo, her eyes widening as she saw Dwalin throw his arm out across the hobbit's chest as a shield. For his part, Bilbo looked more relieved that they had finally stopped running, than shocked at this uncharacteristic gesture; his cheeks puffing out with every exhalation as the company remained stock still behind their temporary shelter. Faint hints of relief began to take up residence in Vanya's mind as the howling of the wargs grew distant as they followed Radagast away from the rest of the company. As the cries and snarls faded into the distance, the elf almost allowed herself to hope that perhaps they were free of danger; until the sound of a snapping twig just above their hiding spot reached their ears.

Closing her eyes as she began attempting to flatten her body against the rock as much as possible; Vanya listened closely, her blood running cold as the sound of twin breaths rang out over the silence of the group. A light scrape indicated a sword being drawn out of its sheath shortly thereafter; the sound of the warg's paws shifting on the rock above them as the creature sniffed the air. There would be no doubt that it would catch their scent…and Vanya's hand immediately went to her sword; her fingertips curling around the pommel as she prepared to leap into action.

A flicker of movement to her left caught her attention before she could make a move; her eyes meeting Kili's for the briefest of moments as he stepped out from the shelter of the rocks and took aim at the creature above them. As the arrow met its mark, lodging itself in the shoulder of the warg; the beast let out a loud roar, falling to the side and tumbling down the rock with a crash. Before she could react, Dwalin was running forward; his axe at the ready as he took a swing at the beast's neck, Bifur following close behind him. Casting her eyes around for the orc that had been atop the warg just moments ago; Vanya realized that the beast's rider had somehow managed to roll to the side as he fell, avoiding being squashed beneath his mount by only a fraction of an inch. He was currently clambering to his feet just to the side of where Dwalin and Bifur were making short work of the warg; a frightening glint of undisguised glee flashing through his eyes as he drew his blade once again and advanced on the dwarves as their backs were turned.

Letting out a cry of warning, Vanya darted forward; ducking to the side to avoid being waylayed by a restraining hand as she took the remaining paces between herself and the orc at a leap and tackled the creature to the ground. He let out a resounding screech of surprise and anger then, his mouth curling into a snarl as he hissed something at her, before rolling over so that she was pinned beneath his body; his fetid breath making her nauseous as she brought up her knee to connect with the creature's groin. Another shriek escaped him as he rolled to the side; the absence of his weight above her allowing Vanya to scramble to her feet, her sword meeting with the orc's blade and letting out a resounding clang as he attempted to run her through.

Swinging his arm in a wide arc to force Vanya's sword away from his own as he regained his footing; the orc let out a triumphant roar as the act forced the elf to take a few steps backwards. She barely had enough time to bring her blade up in front of her in defense, before the creature was lunging forward to attack again; yet another peal of metal on metal ringing through the air as the elf blocked his strike. As a snarl left the creature's cracked lips, Vanya swung her foot up to kick him in the stomach; forcing his body away from her own just as Thorin appeared, and delivered a wide swipe to the creature's back with his sword. The cry of pain brought about from the creature's wound only intensified as Bifur leapt in; jabbing his spear into the orc's stomach, and twisting the weapon to the right as the orc dropped to the ground.

Shaking herself out of the shock presented by how quickly both dwarves had stepped in to assist her, Vanya whirled around as she registered Gandalf coming to stand by her side; his face set into an expression of anticipation as he motioned for her to remain silent. Both orc and warg having been disposed of; the company once again lapsed into silence for a moment, only to break it as Dori spoke up.

"What are we waiting for?"

As if in answer to his inquiry, a lone howl travelled to them on the faint breeze; followed by the sounds of paws beating the ground as they drew near. Casting a glance up at the wizard, Vanya lowered her voice in resignation as she spoke.

"I suppose it would be too much to ask for to have the sounds of our recent fight go unnoticed?"

"It would be too much, indeed" Gandalf replied, nodding at the elf before raising his voice and addressing the rest of the company "Run!"

The dwarves complied with his instruction quickly, setting off in the direction he had indicated with his staff; until only Thorin, Bilbo, and Vanya remained beside him. Eyes narrowed in suspicion, Thorin spared elf and hobbit a cursory glance; before raising his gaze to Gandalf's and asking:

"Where are you leading us?"

In response to Thorin's question, Gandalf's eyes locked with Vanya's; his gaze confirming the suspicion she had been holding since they first set out on the plain. He was taking them to the elves. To the very place where her identity could not possibly be kept a secret from the dwarf king; no matter how much she might wish it. Casting her gaze downward, Vanya briefly caught the dark scowl that flitted across Thorin's face in response to the wizard's lack of reply; somehow managing to shake her apprehension in favor of following after Gandalf as he took off at a run behind the rest of the company. After all, it wouldn't do to be distracted by her personal fears…not when they had an enemy to outrun.

Forcing her eyes up to look towards where they were headed; Vanya noticed a small crop of trees that surrounded yet another grouping of rocks. Narrowing her eyes as she approached, she let out a slight huff of astonishment; amazement at Gandalf's cunning overtaking her as she came to a stop beside Bilbo.

She knew this place; or at least she thought she did. If memory served her properly, between the rocks, there was a slope leading underground; to a path that would eventually open out into the valley of Imladris. A path that Gandalf had, in all probability, led them to on purpose; as though this had been his plan all along. In all fairness, she should have never doubted him of having an ulterior motive…but that did not stop the wave of surprise that flashed through her as she whirled around in answer to a shout from Kili that succeeded in dragging her back to the present.

"There's more coming!" He shouted, wielding his bow and an arrow in hand as he placed his back to the group; facing the approaching enemy as they crept out of the sparse trees lining the perimeter of where they had come to a stop. They were slowly being forced back towards the main cropping of boulders…in effect, the enemy was corralling them into a small clump…and Vanya spared a brief glance at Bofur as he appeared at her side; motioning towards Bilbo as she said:

"Watch the Halfling?"

"Of course, lass."

Not bothering to stick around and listen to Bilbo's spluttering protests, Vanya darted forward to join Kili and Ori at the front of the group, pulling her own bow from its spot at her back; and nicking an arrow into place as she came to a stop between the two dwarves.

"I think we can take them" Thorin's youngest nephew asserted, a half-smile gracing his lips as he flicked a brief glance at the elf before returning his attention to the approaching enemy "We've handled worse, right?"

"I assume you would be referring to the trolls?" Vanya asked, a laugh slipping out in spite of her misgivings regarding the young dwarf's enthusiasm.

"Absolutely" Kili replied; loosing an arrow in a smooth arc, and letting out a grunt of satisfaction as it connected with the forehead of an approaching orc. As the dwarf nocked another arrow and prepared to fire again; Vanya fired a shot of her own, allowing a smile to turn the corner of her mouth up as it stopped the advancing warg just short of where they were standing; lodging in his side near the location of his heart.

"Pretty impressive…for an elf" Kili quipped, a smirk crossing his features and causing Vanya to roll her eyes. Always he sought to make everything a joke…and she was just about to chastise him for it when a shout rang out from his brother.

"There's still more coming!"

Whirling around to face the sound of his voice; Vanya took an uncertain step back towards the center of the group, her eyes widening as she saw the sheer number of wargs and orcs heading their way. Casting her eyes around in search of Gandalf, the elf felt her stomach drop as she remained unable to locate him…but her attention was soon distracted, as she saw Ori backpedaling away from a warg that he had just shot with his slingshot. Not wasting any time, Vanya gestured for Kili to take a step back as she took aim once again; sending the arrow straight into the beast's side just as he was about to lunge towards the younger dwarf.

Both elf and dwarves were preparing to resume their original stance against the still approaching enemy, when a familiar voice rang out to them from behind; causing all three to let out a sigh of relief as Gandalf cried:

"This way, you fools!"

The wizard had just emerged from within the cropping of rocks that Vanya had noticed earlier; and by the look on his face, it was just as she had suspected.

He had found the entrance into Rivendell.

Shaking her head at his ever-present need to scheme, Vanya turned back to face Kili and Ori as the rest of the dwarves began running towards the wizard. Nodding to both of them, she reached back for another arrow as she said:

"Go. I'll cover you."

"Vanya, I don't think…" Kili began, reaching out to grab the elf's arm in an effort to dissuade her. His eyes widened in concern as he watched her shake her head in denial; her voice taking on a firm tone as she cut him off.

"Go, Kili! I will follow; just go!"

Ignoring the pained look that Thorin's young nephew sent her, Vanya gestured in the direction of the others one last time; watching just long enough to make sure both dwarves would do as instructed and return to the rest of the company, before turning around and narrowing her eyes at the warg that was approaching her. Backing up slightly, she drew her bow back; letting out a tiny huff to steady herself as she released the shot. The warg fell, as expected, when the arrow lodged in its eye socket; but the elf was forced to retreat backwards several steps as she took note of three other beasts stalking towards her. Just as she was preparing to take another shot at the advancing enemy, however; a gruff voice reached her ears.

"Vanya, run!"

Whirling around, the elf found her eyes widening in shock as she realized who it had been that had called to her. She didn't allow herself much time to question why Thorin had done so, however; choosing instead to comply with his instructions and turn her back on the enemy in favor of a sprint towards shelter. Upon reaching the piece of rock that the dwarf king was standing on, she offered him a brief nod of thanks before turning back in preparation of shooting the warg that was fast approaching. Before she could even take aim, however; Thorin's hand was shooting out, coming to rest on her arm with a surprisingly strong grip as he growled at her.

"What do you think you are doing, elf?"

"Cutting off their advance so that you can get to safety; what does it look like?" She quipped, shaking herself loose of his grasp and preparing to take aim again; only to find his hand now tightening around her elbow as he said:

"Do not be a fool."

Vanya let out a sharp laugh then, shaking Thorin's arm off of her own, and letting loose another arrow just in time to stop the advance of the nearest enemy as she replied "Do not tell me you actually care for my well-being, Master Dwarf. Go. Get yourself to safety."

"I will not have your blood on my hands; elf!" Thorin snarled; watching with reluctant appreciation of how quickly the elf woman had nocked another arrow in her bow and fired it even in the midst of his discourse "Now go!"

Before the elf issue yet another retort, however; Gandalf was calling out to them from the tunnel below, his voice tight with frustration as he said:

"If you two spend any more time arguing about who is to come down first; I shall kill you myself! Now get down here!"

Vanya shared a look with Thorin then, a part of her still tempted to resist letting him escape last; but before she could put that plan into action, she felt herself being shoved roughly down the opening in the rock, a faint yelp of surprise escaping her as she tumbled down the slope of granite and collided with the legs of the wizard. Gandalf helped her up as she came to a stop at his feet; all the while grumbling incoherently about 'stubbornness' and 'fools'; the mutterings only intensifying as Thorin tumbled down behind her. Ori and Fili were the ones to assist him in regaining his feet; and he appeared as though he was about to light into Vanya once again, only to be stopped by the sound of a war horn echoing down to them from above ground.

Freezing in place, Vanya listened to the sounds of shrieks and cries of rage as the creatures above them were slaughtered by the nameless force; jumping in shock as one of the orcs that had been after them fell down into their hiding place with an arrow sticking out of his chest. Her eyes widened as she took note of the familiar crafting of the weapon; and she could practically feel the weight of Thorin's disgust as he wrenched the arrow from the body of the orc with a grunt. His eyes flicked to Vanya's then, as though this entire situation was her doing; but before he could chastise her in any way, Dwalin was calling out to him, and diverting his attention to more pressing matters.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads" He shouted, appearing from around a hidden corner a bit further off from where the main part of the company was standing "Do we follow it or no?"

"Follow it, of course!" Bofur called back, nudging Bombur in front of him as the dwarves began trickling towards where Dwalin stood. With a curt nod, Thorin's oldest friend disappeared around the corner once again; and the rest of the company soon followed suit, all of them marveling at the many twists and turns in the rocks as they moved forward. Falling into step behind Bilbo as he made to pass her, Vanya offered him a faint smile; her thoughts soon moving from awe over how easily the wizard had led them here, to her ever growing anxiety regarding what was to come.

She could not be sure of exactly how the company would react when her lineage was revealed…some would likely be angered, no doubt. But how would the more mild-mannered dwarves react? Fili and Kili? Ori? Bofur and Bombur? There could be no way of knowing what would become of her part in this quest once the company knew who she _really_ was…

The only thing that Vanya did know was that everything was about to change. And that fact scared her more than she would like to admit.

…

_Mellon nin-my friend_

_Na lû e-govaned vîn_-_until next we meet_

**Hello again, my doves! I honestly meant to give you all a break from this story, and write some for my others. But it seems seeing DOS has put me in the position of being able to think of nothing else except this story. What can I say, I want to get Vanya to Mirkwood. Oh the delicious angsty possibilities…**

**At any rate, though, here we have another chapter! One step closer to elvses, precious! And I can't wait to hear what you think!**

**As always, huge thanks go out to my lovely readers/reviewers/followers! I truly do get a kick out of hearing how much you are enjoying the story! **

**Until next time,**

**MJR**


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